Letter to the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Apostolic Societies
Oct 24, 2004
Concerning a conference on homosexual religious and clergy at which Sister Jeannine Gramick has participated.
October 10, 1989
Your Eminence,
I write with regard to a recent New York Times article concerning a conference on homosexual religious and clergy. The article makes it clear that Sister Jeannine Gramick has participated in the conference. While her comment, as reported by the New York Times, is not in and of itself objectionable, her participation in this seminar is objectionable. Sister Jeannine, with the compliance of her superiors continues to participate in seminars and workshops on homosexuality in spite of a clear directive which she received from Archbishop Laghi.
I respectfully urge that pressure be brought to bear on Sister Jeannine’s superiors to ensure that she cease this work in view of her ambiguity with regard to the wrongness of homosexual activity. I regard her defiance of Archbishop Laghi’s directive as a scandal and her teaching as harmful to the faithful.
As you know, I have written the Congregation many times concerning this matter. At the risk of taxing your patience, I urge that the Congregation do everything possible to bring this case to a swift and final closure.
With the assurance of my prayers and with kind personal regards, I am
Sincerely in Christ,
James Cardinal Hickey
Archbishop of Washington
His Eminence
Jerome Cardinal Hamer
Cardinal Prefect
Congregation for the Institutes
of Consecrated Life and
Apostolic Societies
3 Piazza Pio, XII
Rome, Italy
Faithful Citizenship
Oct 24, 2004
There is one issue that rises above the others. When you vote on November 7, I hope and pray that you will not forget the most disenfranchised citizens in this land - the unborn.
(Catholic Standard newspaper, October 26, 2000) During this very long political season, I have thought more than once about my Grandpa Ryan. A businessman (he owned a furniture store), he was also something of a politician (he was a Democrat and the elected sheriff of Midland County, Michigan). Family lore has it that most of time Grandpa Ryan was comfortably re-elected. But on at least one occasion, his opponent prevailed. However, political defeat didn’t relegate Grandpa Ryan to the furniture store. Grandma Ryan continued to run the store because the Democratic administration in Washington saw to it that Grandpa Ryan was appointed postmaster. Students of American history will remember this as "the spoils system."
How different those times were from these. The local politics of Midland County at the dawn of the 20th century seem so simple compared with the protracted and expensive political campaigns, both local and national, that are currently underway. But for all the expense and media hype of modern politics, many pundits nonetheless maintain that this year’s political season, including the presidential race, has few substantive issues.
I respectfully disagree. There is a multitude of serious issues facing voters this year. Many of those issues are described in a document from the U.S. Bishops entitled Faithful Citizenship. There are important choices to be made regarding heath care, including the provision of prescription drugs in Medicare, the future of Social Security, the provision of debt relief for poor and developing countries, the question of military preparedness and, indeed, capital punishment. All those issues and many more besides require careful consideration on the part of all voters.
But there is one issue that rises above the others. When you vote on November 7, I hope and pray that you will not forget the most disenfranchised citizens in this land - the unborn. Truly they have no voice but ours. Even their humanity has been arbitrarily denied by the reigning culture of death. Indeed, to this day, our country countenances the destruction of an unborn human being at the very moment of birth in spite of the fact that the American Medical Association has made it clear that this barbaric procedure has no legitimate medical purpose.
It is not my job to tell you how to vote. Nor can I tell you that either major presidential candidate fully embraces all that we, as believers and citizens, should hold regarding the dignity of the human person and the worth of human life. For example, both major presidential candidates support capital punishment. Yet, as each of us makes a prudential judgment in voting for a new president, we need to ask which candidate will offer even a measure of protection for the unborn. Who is more likely to pierce through the rhetoric and politics of choice in the clear realization that abortion is always a choice to destroy an utterly innocent and defenseless human being?
Some voters, even pro-life voters, may have concluded that that abortion is here to stay - a sad but permanent fixture in our culture. Indeed, some believe (wrongly in my view) that abortion is so deeply engrained in our national life that no elected official can effect a change. But it does matter who our elected leaders are. Politicians, to be sure, aren’t the only ones who form our culture but the laws that are enacted and the judicial decisions that are reached truly do help shape what kind of a nation we are.
As Pope John Paul II wrote in his encyclical letter, The Gospel of Life: "It is...urgently necessary, for the future of society and the development of a sound democracy, to rediscover those essential and innate human and moral values that flow from the very truth of the human being and express and safeguard the dignity of the person: values which no individual, no majority and no State can ever create, modify or destroy, but must only acknowledge, respect and promote." (EV, 71) If Grandpa Ryan were to survey today’s political landscape, he’d be amazed. The times are radically different than they were a century ago. But there is one thing we should hold in common with the wise old sheriff of Midland County: We need to let our core beliefs - the beliefs that flow from both faith and reason - illuminate our votes. We need to take very seriously our responsibilities both as believers and as citizens.
Recovery of the Sacred
Oct 24, 2004
The archbishop of Washington, D.C., was scheduled to be keynote speaker at a Sept. 22-24 1989 conference of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars in Atlanta on the theme: “Recovery of the Sacred: Catholic Faith, Worship and Practice.”
(The Georgia Bulletin, October 5, 1989) Contemporary Americans may have lost a sense of the sacred, but millions of them retain a fascination with the terrifying, the occult and the vaguely “supernatural,” said Cardinal James Hickey in a talk prepared for an Atlanta conference.
For a world caught up in Stephen King novels and nightmares on “Elm Street, the sacramental life of the Church mirrors a radically different, right relationship between earth and heaven, the cardinal’s talk said.
“In many popular portrayals, the world beyond is a bizarre and unfriendly place that only occasionally breaks in upon our everyday world … Troubles start when representatives of that world make forays to Elm Street or invade the office computer.”
Within the Church, however, the sacraments reveal a completely different relationship between ordinary life and the divine, his talk pointed out. “In the sacraments of the Church, what is human becomes the vehicle of the divine. Human words and actions as well as basic things such as water, wine, bread and oil become the bearers of divine life.”
The sacraments follow the “incarnational logic” of God’s redemptive plan in which Jesus took on human flesh to atone for sin, bodily and spiritually.
In addition, ordinary things are not overwhelmed or destroyed in the sacramental order, his talk pointed out. On the contrary, their natural properties, like water in Baptism, are used to communicate “the redeeming action of Christ in the Holy Spirit.”
In popular culture, on the other hand, “what is lacking is the Christian vision that the world and the human person who is the pinnacle of creation, can have a sustained relationship with the divine.”
Also lacking is an awareness of the need to acknowledge God as the Creator. Many people, he noted, are “almost unconscious of their role to offer to God the fruit of the earth and the work of human hands,” an unawareness that he called a “fundamental loss of the sacred.”
The archbishop of Washington, D.C., was scheduled to be keynote speaker at a Sept. 22-24 conference of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars in Atlanta on the theme: “Recovery of the Sacred: Catholic Faith, Worship and Practice.”
Unable to attend, his prepared talk was delivered by Archbishop Eugene A. Marino, SSJ.
Cardinal Hickey’s text noted that as a pastor he is concerned from a practical perspective. He suggested several ways that the church can approach a recovery of the sacred.
The first, he said, is to be aware that “we preach in a culture which is in many ways either hostile or insensitive to the relationship of the world to God. We need to impart to others a whole new way of looking at themselves and at the world.”
His second recommendation was to renew sacramental life. All preaching, instruction and private counseling must have as their goal to lead people to the sacraments where the experience of the earthly and divine interacting can be gained and appreciated.
The cardinal also recommended rekindling and developing popular piety that connects the sacred with everyday events, such as the changing seasons, birth and death, holidays and holy days.
Wake Service for the Bishop of Arlington
Oct 24, 2004
Officiated by Cardinal James A. Hickey of Washington, the solemn service displayed a diocese united in prayer for its departed bishop.
(Arlington Catholic Herald, March 27, 1998) Arlington — The Cathedral choir, under the direction of Richard Gibala, sang Evening Prayer for the repose of Bishop John R. Keating’s soul at a wake service March 27 at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington.
Officiated by Cardinal James A. Hickey of Washington, the solemn service displayed a diocese united in prayer for its departed bishop.
The bishop’s body was received into the Cathedral at 3 p.m. Friday amidst the angelic voices of the Cathedral youth choir, directed by Cynthia Conroy. Especially moving was the song, "Jesus, Remember Me," which the children sang beautifully.
At the evening service, members of the Keating family, bishops, diocesan priests and laity came to pray for Bishop Keating and listen to hymns and psalms of solace. The music and reading created an atmosphere of hope as the communion of the faithful commended their shepherd to the mercy of God.
The ethereal and Celtic sounds of the violin, played by Leslie Gartrell, harp, played by Beth Mailand, and organ, combined with the voice of cantor Dr. Michael McMahon and the rest of the Cathedral choir added an uplifting poignancy to the ceremony.
The reading during the service was 1 Cor. 15:55-57, which concludes with St. Paul’s exclamation: "O death where is your power? O death where is your sting?" Cardinal Hickey reiterated the theme of St. Paul’s words in the homily he delivered in memory of Bishop Keating.
"Together may we commend him to the mercy of the Lord Jesus whose death destroyed our death and whose rising restored our life," said Cardinal Hickey. "With St. Paul we can all rejoice that Christ’s death and resurrection has robbed death of its power."
Cardinal Hickey also reflected on Bishop Keating’s episcopal accomplishments.
"On Aug. 4, 1983, the day of his ordination as a bishop here in this Cathedral Church, Bishop Keating’s words were characteristically brief, gracious and on target," said Cardinal Hickey. "He prayed that the Diocese of Arlington would be characterized always by fidelity to the teaching of the Apostles, by a commitment to unity by devotion to the Mass, the breaking of Bread, and by dedication to prayer. This evening, in spite of our sorrow, we see how the Lord answered his prayer."
Cardinal Hickey left the pulpit after planting the seed of prayer for the bishop in every heart. "I am sure that Bishop Keating would not want me to conclude these reflections without urging you to pray for him — not just today or tomorrow — but every day far into the future," said Cardinal Hickey. "Just as the bishop strove to lead a life of holiness, so he would want all of us to ask the Lord to forgive any sins he may have committed and to lead him safely home. I commend Bishop Keating to your prayers."
The service concluded with the hymn "Salve Regina," one of Bishop Keating’s favorites.
The Knights of Columbus kept permanent guard over the body which was available for viewing before and after the service, until midnight. Many came to pay their respects to the deceased and his family.
TOP 100 CATHOLICS OF THE CENTURY
Oct 24, 2004
From the Daily Catholic August 27-29, 1999
75. Cardinal James Hickey
The voters chose as the 75th selection Cardinal James A. Hickey, the Archbishop of our nation's capitol who has been Washington D.C.'s guiding shepherd since 1980. Over the last decade he has had his hands full trying to imbue morals and values not only on his flock, but on our nation's leaders who congregate out of the hub of American politics - the Senate, House and White House. Needless to say satan has had a field day in the cardinal's back yard but, as a strong advocate of pro-life and human rights, Cardinal Hickey has made the evil one's task that much harder through his example and leadership.
He was born on October 11, 1920 in Midland, Michigan making him just five months younger than the Holy Father who was born May 18 of the same year in Wadowicz, Poland. The cardinal writes in Inside the Vatican, "My vocation to the priesthood came in a very simple and natural way: I was born into a profoundly Catholic family. My parents thought highly of the Church; my mother attended daily Mass. In addition, I had the good fortune to meet a wonderful nun who, though she never pushed me to become a priest, made me think about it. My parish priest also helped me to discover my vocation." Like many of his time, these were chiefly the causes for many vocations: solid Catholic roots and evangelizing the faith through example and word. After minor seminary and novitiate, Cardinal Hickey attended Catholic University in Washington, D.C. before being ordained on June 15, 1946 in the Saginaw Diocese. He was sent by his diocese to Rome where he achieved two Doctorates - one in Canon Law from the Lateran University and the other in Theology from the Angelicum.
Equipped with these impressive sheepskins and a better understanding of how the Holy See worked administratively, he returned home where he was appointed Secretary to the Bishop of Saginaw in 1957. Because of his expertise in teaching and formation, he founded and presided over the St. Paul Seminary and was chosen one of the experts or Periti at Vatican II. Following this Ecumenical Council Pope Paul VI recognized his potential and named him titular bishop of Taraqua on February 18, 1967 and Auxiliary Bishop of Saginaw two months later on April 17.
A year and a half later he was elected President of the US Bishops' Conference Committee on the Priesthood on October 31, 1968. Less than six months later he was on his way to Rome again to assume his new position as President of the North American Pontifical College there. He remained in this post until May 31, 1974 when he was transfered from his Saginaw Diocese to the Cleveland Diocese becoming Bishop of Cleveland. Though he fully expected to finish his episcopate in Cleveland, after six years in the city on Lake Erie, Pope John Paul II tabbed him to become Archbishop of Washington D.C. on June 17, 1980. He was installed at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on August 5, 1980.
In his fourth Consistory, John Paul II named Archbishop Hickey to receive the cardinalate on June 28, 1988. He was bestowed the titular church of St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer. Since then he has been active in various curia offices including the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Congregation for the Clergy as well as the Pontifical Council for the Family.
Cardinal Hickey, along with his peers Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and Cardinal John O'Connor are facing the mandatory retirement age and thus the Church is going to lose three very active, loyal Princes of the Church; Cardinal Bevilacqua for his eleven years as lead shepherd of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, Cardinal O'Connor for his fifteen plus years as Archbishop of New York and Cardinal Hickey for his nearly twenty years as head of the very difficult political diocese of Washington, D.C. His motto is Veritatem in caritate meaning "truth in love" for he strongly believes the Magisterium of the Church does not exist solely to preach theological theories but to transmit the truth with love and a caring heart.
Regarding the political hotbed he finds himself in daily and the liberal politicians promoting the culture of death he says, "Often, out of a sort of cultural imperialism, they want to impose their pro-abortion and contraceptive mentality (with particular emphasis on sterilization and euthanasia) on other countries where there still exists a profound respect for life and for the family." He has worked diligently on ecumenism but toes the line when it comes to compromise for Christ's True Church cannot compromise His teachings. He stands solidly behind the philosophy "Ubi Petrus, ibi Ecclesia" - "Where there is Peter (the Pope), there is the Church!"
Confidential Document Reserved to the Members of the Mother of God Community
Oct 24, 2004
James Cardinal Hickey Address to Mother of God Community September 23, 1995.
Dear friends in Christ,
Let's begin with a prayer.
Heavenly Father, we come before you this day bearing in our hearts a deep love for this community as well as our concerns. We ask you, O Lord, to send upon us Your Holy Spirit so that in all we say and do we may follow Your Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, "the way, the truth and the life," who speaks to us through the Church. Give us, Lord, hearts that are humble, courageous and open so that we may preserve what is good and change what must be changed and do all this in a spirit of love for you, Our Heavenly Father, for one another and for the entire Church, the Body of Christ. Through the overshadowing of Your Holy Spirit, may we receive Your Word and know Your will, as did Mary, the Mother of God. Give us hearts like that of Mary whom we claim as our Mother and our Patron. We ask this, through Christ Our Lord.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Dear friends, with me today is Bishop Lori. Father George Kirwin, an Oblate of Mary Immaculate, and President of Oblate College in Washington was with me earlier but was obliged to depart because of two previously scheduled weddings. Later on I will speak to you more about him and the role I am asking him to assume.
I wanted this opportunity to speak personally with you today as the assessment process draws to a close. I come to you this day in love and respect. I come to you this day as your pastor; I come in truth and in love.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Let me first affirm my belief that the Mother of God Community is a gift from the Lord. I want to recognize the gifts which the Lord has given you during these past three decades. Through this community, you and so many others have striven to take your faith much more seriously, to grow in your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. There has been a sincere attempt to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as you strive to lead a truly Christian life, not just on Sundays but every day of the week.
On a more personal note, I remember so well your participation in the special celebration at the National Shrine to welcome me as Archbishop of Washington back in 1980. I especially remember the young people and their joy in the Lord. I remember as well my visits with members of the community through the years. I recognize the contributions of the priests of the Community to the Archdiocese and to its many ministries. And so I come among you not as a stranger, but rather as pastor and as friend. It is in a spirit of respect and love, that I will share my concerns -- not in a spirit of blame or retribution. It is in that spirit that I will ask for some changes which I believe will promote the authentically Catholic spirit of this Mother of God Community.
If, at times, it seemed that the assessment process focused too much on the negative aspects of the Community, I want to assure you I have not lost sight of the positive aspects nor of the vision and insight that brought the Community into existence. Yet it is my responsibility as your pastor to address forthrightly whatever needs correction and change.
In sharing concerns and asking for changes, I recognize that the Mother of God has always had an ecumenical outreach and that some of you belong to other Christian confessions -- Episcopalians, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians and Pentecostals. I speak respectfully to those of you who are not of the Catholic faith. And such respect demands that I speak to you clearly even as I speak to all Catholics who are present here about the Catholic roots and identity of this community. I shall ask for full fidelity to the teaching of the Church.
Teaching
The first duty of every bishop is to be the teacher of his people in the ways of faith. My responsibility is to ensure that all the people entrusted to my care have a genuine understanding of what the Church believes and teaches. As a bishop for nearly three decades, I can attest that this is a challenging calling, and one that I take very seriously. And I take it very seriously in my parishes and in the schools of the Archdiocese. I take it very seriously in the universities and institutes of higher learning in the Archdiocese. And I take this same responsibility very seriously in your regard as well.
I have spent much time studying the teachings of the Mother of God Community. I have listened to tapes and I have read letters; I have studied reports and transcripts; I have spent long hours of prayer and discernment. I do find that there are misunderstandings in the Community about what the Church teaches. There is an urgent need to ensure that community teachings fully reflect the living faith of the Church as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Church's doctrinal teaching is not taught and studied fully and systematically within the Community. What is not said is just as important as what is said. Any preaching and instruction that fails to draw its foundation and inspiration from the magisterium of the Church runs the risk of not being of the Holy Spirit. I am particularly concerned that young people, children, adolescents and young adults, lack a solid foundation in the Church teaching. Many older members came to the community well instructed in the basic truths of the faith and were better able to integrate community teachings into their life of faith. But younger people have not had the benefit of a full and systematic instruction in the faith; yet the faith of the Church, in its entirety, is their rightful heritage as baptized Catholics.
More specifically, I believe there is a great need to clarify the meaning of "baptism in the Spirit" as it relates to all the sacraments, but especially in relationship to sacramental baptism and the sacrament of confirmation. Sacramental baptism is recognized by all Christians -- Catholic, Orthodox, mainline Protestant churches as the principal sacrament of initiation and the foundation of the Christian life. "Baptism in the Spirit," a gift characteristic of the charismatic renewal, helps one live out the call to holiness received in baptism; it helps to revivify the divine gifts received in sacramental baptism, in the other sacraments and in the entire tradition of the Church. However, "baptism in the Spirit" is not essential to the Christian life; those who do not receive "baptism in the Spirit" are not second-class Christians!
There is also need to clarify and strengthen the comrnunity's understanding of the centrality of the Eucharist which the Second Vatican Council taught is "the source and summit of the Christian life." [SC,8] Indeed the Eucharist is much more necessary than the Sunday prayer meetings, good as those may be. I know that you go to Sunday Mass; many of you attend Mass on weekdays. But the materials I have read convince me that too many see the prayer meeting as more central, more satisfying, more important than the Eucharist. There is need for a clear and consistent formation to guide your deepening faith to full, active and conscious participation in the Eucharist as the "source and summit of the Christian life."(SC 8, 14). So also there is need for a better grasp of the crucial role of a frequent reception of the sacrament of penance in the spiritual life. Community teaching needs to re-focus itself and to anchor itself much more firmly in the sacramental life of the Church.
There is also need to clarify for the members of this community the authentic Catholic understanding of the essential goodness of creation and the dignity of the human person, a point so central in the Holy Father's teaching and in the long tradition of the Church. The Catholic Church teaches that the human person, though wounded by original sin, retains dignity and worth in the eyes of God. It is true that the human intellect is darkened, that we experience a leaning toward evil; indeed we are incapable of saving ourselves! However, it is erroneous to speak of human nature as "depraved", as lacking in any goodness or worth. In our Catholic tradition, God's grace heals and builds on our human nature as we die and rise in Christ. And even our darkened intellect can know something of God and of his truth.
[cf. GS,13]
Every effort must be made to achieve a correct understanding of marriage -- including the equality of the spouses and the rights and duties of parents in natural law and in the teaching of the Church.
There are serious theological and pastoral dangers from delving into literature and practices drawn from fundamentalist groups often deeply hostile to the Catholic Church. I have deep concerns about the Toronto Blessing, from the Vineyard Church, "resting in the Spirit" -- as practiced in the Mother of God Community. I know some of you feel that this practice has been beneficial; nonetheless it has proven to be divisive for this community and is theologically questionable. I now ask you to cease its use as of this day and until such time as I can discuss this matter further with theologians and spiritual directors as well as with Father Peter Hocken. But to be perfectly candid, I do have grave reservations about this practice.
The true union among Christians, which as Catholics we all must seek, will happen only by our being true to the faith of our Church.
In order to address these problems, I ask that a new systematic catechesis based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church be undertaken for the whole community. The priests have acknowledged deficiencies and omissions in community teaching and have also acknowledged their responsibility in not correcting and guarding against those deficiencies. Because of their awareness of the problems which I have outlined and because of their renewed resolve to strengthen your life of faith, I shall designate the priests, together with other qualified community members, to give teaching that shall cover doctrine, worship, morality and spirituality. I am asking the community to accept, without reservation, the Catechism, a truly anointed teaching, which the Holy Father has given to all of us as the sure norm of belief and instruction.
Let me also say a word about the teachings at the Sunday night prayer meetings. I am asking that community members who are well-trained in theology take a much more active role in reviewing such teachings as are prepared ahead of time and in gently but firmly correcting spontaneous teaching that contains errors or statements that may lead to misunderstanding. Any teaching that does not clearly reflect the fullness of the Church's teaching risks not being of the Holy Spirit.
In addition, I ask that the Mother of God School take steps to be affiliated with the Archdiocesan School System. This helps to ensure compliance of this school with all that is required of every Catholic school in this Archdiocese. I am asking my Superintendent of Schools, Lawrence Callahan, and Father Charles Parry, my Assistant Secretary for Catholic Education, to visit the Mother of God School and to prepare an evaluation for my review. We will work with you to ensure that the Mother of God School not only meets appropriate standards and follows sound policies but most importantly that it presents authentic Catholic teaching as befits a truly Catholic school.
Pastoral Practice
Teaching and pastoral practice are very closely allied. Again, I speak to you as a pastor, as one who spent almost fifty years in one or another pastoral role, as a parish priest, as seminary rector and as a diocesan bishop for nearly three decades. I can tell you this: to provide good spiritual direction, sound guidance, and compassionate help is a very challenging work. For in engaging in this ministry, we are not simply dealing with externals but with the very mind and heart of those we seek to serve. We are dealing with the conscience, that secret, inmost core of the person, that privileged sanctuary where each of us is alone with God and where His voice echoes in our hearts. [GS,16] This work is more delicate and demanding than that of any surgeon! That is why the Church has always demanded that anyone who offers pastoral care be carefully trained, not only in theology but in the very art of caring for the human soul. The Church always insists that those who engage in pastoral work fully respect the legitimate autonomy and freedom of those they are working with; it has always insisted that relationships between spouses and between parents and children be respected and fostered in all cases but especially whenever pastoral care is given and received. It also insists, with greatest clarity, that people receiving pastoral care have a right to privacy and confidentiality. That applies in the strictest way to the confessional, as we know; but it also applies to various forms of spiritual direction, counseling and other efforts to enable people to come to terms with all that impedes them from following Christ. The Church also insists that those in authority exercise their responsibility with love, care and restraint.
Some of you have attested that they have benefitted from pastoral care in the community as they understand it. Others have experienced very serious problems; still others have had a mixed reaction to the pastoral care they have received. Yet, as your pastor, I must address the very serious difficulties which many people have shared with me.
After careful study, I have come to the conclusion that the very notion of pastoral care needs to be clarified for the community at large. There is need to understand the goals and methods of authentic pastoral care. It is not a detailed series of directives to be obeyed but rather a healing of the soul centered around the Word of God as it comes to us through the Church and the sacraments of the Church. In the pastoral care of this community, members were led to speak of very personal things in a manner that did not protect their right to privacy and confidentiality and which had the effect of leaving them vulnerable. Great damage has resulted from this.
In addition, I am concerned that the authority of those giving pastoral care be clearly understood and properly limited. No private individual can say that he or she presents the absolute will of God for another person in life's personal decisions. Unlike bishops and religious superiors, no lay leader has a right to demand religious obedience from a fellow adult lay Catholic. We can help each other on the journey but we must all walk in freedom!
Because of my deep concerns for you, I require that the pastoral care now being offered by the current community leadership, including region heads, coordinators, and other small groupings for pastoral care and direction be discontinued at once. Of course, small gatherings for prayer can continue; but in these groups it must be understood that all participants are of equal rank; and the practice of "headship" must be stopped in all its forms. All current covenant and associate agreements, including any continuing relationships of the Unio Crucis, are to be terminated until the Statutes are completed and approved.
I invite the priests of the community to work closely with myself, Father Kirwin and Bishop Lori in providing sound pastoral care for the community. They will work under my authorization and along lines which I shall indicate. I esteem the three priests currently serving you and I know they are very much a part of the life of this community. I want them to remain be with you during this difficult time of renewal. As the future unfolds, I also want to ensure that anyone else who provides pastoral care is well-trained in theology and other necessary skills.
The pastoral needs of this community are many. In addition to the need for sound teaching, the community suffers from a lack of charity for one another; from the failure to reach out in reconciliation; from anger, suspicion, slander and fear; from being judgmental of one another and of those who are not members of the community. The words of St. Paul come to mind: "If you go snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, you had better watch or you will destroy the whole community." (Gal. 5:14). All these sinful tendencies need to be healed for they are not of the Holy Spirit.
For the immediate future, special efforts must be made to bring about reconciliation within families, some of whom find themselves at odds. There is also need to make available the services of trained counselors from outside the community to offer any one who wants it the opportunity to share the burdens of their mind and heart without fear or hesitation. We need to be especially conscious of the children and young people in the community, some of whom have been seriously harmed by the systematic undermining of parental authority. We need to be attentive to their needs, especially by working hard to strengthen their relationships with their parents. I also require, out of love and respect for one another, that any one who has personal information about other members -- in notebooks, in computer files, in whatever form, that you destroy it, lest it be the source of future embarrassment or harm. All of you must cease using any personal information about others gained from previous pastoral practices.
Leadership
This morning also, I must speak to you not only about teaching and pastoral care, but also about the leadership of the community. I know this is a very delicate and difficult area and I have given it much thought and prayer. First, I want to recognize the dedication of so many who have worked at various levels of leadership within the community. I know of your desire to live the faith in a very intense way and to help others to do the same.
Yet in every community made up of human beings -- whether it is a diocese, a parish, a religious community or any other type of community -- there is need for periodic change in leadership. It is not good for any community when a relatively small group is always in charge of all aspects of community life -- teaching, pastoral care, policies, funds, etc. Next month, when I am in Rome, upon my 75th birthday, I will submit my own resignation to the Holy Father and simply put myself at his disposition for however long or short a time he wants me to serve as your Archbishop.
The Church recognizes the need to rotate leadership at every level. That is why, in 1993, when I was asked to give recognition to the Mother of God Community as an association of the faithful, I directed that steps be taken for an orderly rotation and change in leadership. Unfortunately, that directive was not made known widely to the community nor was its goal achieved. The assessment process confirmed my original perception of three years ago that a change of leadership is not only wise but indeed necessary.
As one deeply concerned for the welfare of this community, I judge it necessary to ask that some in leadership positions step aside for a period of three months. This includes coordinators and region heads. During this period I will be in conversation with Joe and Edie. I also have serious concerns about the Corporations which I shall address in the coming months.
It is above all important that we begin the process of enabling all of you, as a community, to define in a better way the role of leaders; and when the Statutes are completed and approved by me, then you will be enabled to elect your own leaders. However, when elections do take place, I must reiterate what I asked for in 1993 -- there must be a change in leadership.
In the meantime, I ask the following individuals to provide interim leadership to the Community on a day by day basis for the next six months until the statutes are completed and approved, and new leaders are elected. They include:
1) Mr. Robert Roche
2) Mrs. Marjorie MacLeod
3) Mr. Stephen Miletic
4) Mr. Anthony Bosnick
5) and a younger member of the community, possibly someone from the current Region #3.
I have asked Mr. Roche to chair this interim leadership team. I ask that these leaders take up their duties immediately.
The functioning of this temporary leadership will be crucial until permanent leadership is installed. Your interim leaders will work with you and me to ensure that the vision and spirituality of the Mother of God Community be enhanced and forwarded.
Your interim leaders will work closely with Father George Kirwin, OMI, of whom I spoke at the beginning of my address. Because of his prior experience, I have asked him to assist the Mother of God Community during this time of transition. Father Kirwin is President of Oblate College in Washington; he is a trained theologian, a former Provincial and a man of proven wisdom and love for the Church. Father's role will be to oversee the implementation of what I am asking of the community.
I have also asked your interim leaders to select an advisory board of about ten members to represent various segments of the community. Their role is to listen to all of you, and to meet with the interim leaders on a regular basis to share their concerns in an orderly and charitable manner. In addition, as I have already mentioned the priests will continue to serve the community in a pastoral role, especially as teachers and spiritual directors.
I also ask Father Peter Hocken to serve as your interim Chaplain for the next six months; he is to work closely with you and your interim leaders. As Chaplain, he bears special responsibility for the pastoral care of the Community in the months ahead.
As I mentioned, already in 1993 I asked that Statutes be drawn up as a prerequisite to the Community's gaining definitive recognition as an association of the faithful. I ask that the Statutes Committee continue to function under the direction of the interim leaders. This committee is to follow the directives which I give today; its members also need to take into account the strengths, problems and recommendations which surfaced in the assessment process. They are charged to write Statutes that describe well the gifts and goals of the community; but it is also important that the Statutes protect the dignity and rights of members as well as the responsibilities and limits of those who serve as leaders. I ask Father Theo Rush to continue working with the Statutes Committee.
The good of your community also demands a careful review of community corporations, the Potomac Charismatic Community, Incorporated and the Word Among Us, Incorporated. For the protection of all, however, I will be asking that the corporations undergo a comprehensive legal audit going back to the very beginning of each organization. I also ask that the corporations have a comprehensive financial audit covering a period of ten years. These audits should be available for all the members to read. Members of the community should be aware of any changes in board membership. They should be aware of the assets of these corporations. There should be no attempt to sell assets, to transfer assets or to dissolve these corporations during the coming months. Policies regarding the operation of these corporations must be clarified with input from the entire community.
In general, there is a great need for much more community input regarding these corporations. As members of the community, you need to know much more about the finances of the community and have a say in the disposition of community resources. So also there is need to develop fair and consistent policies on matters such as pay scales and benefits for those employed by the Community. In no way is it my desire to be directly responsible for the corporate affairs of the community nor control its assets. I would be less than responsible, however, if I did not insist that your community, as a non profit organization, follow the same high standards that I have set for the corporations of the Archdiocese. I ask of you nothing that I do not ask of myself and my co-workers.
* * * * *
Conclusion
As I come to the conclusion of these remarks, I want to make the canonical status of this community clear. In 1993, I gave a tentative three year recognition to the Mother of God Community as a private association of the faithful. In January 1996, that three-year period will be over. As of this time, I am NOT withdrawing recognition but I will continue recognition until the end of April 1996, to give your community the opportunity to implement all that I have asked of you today. It is the responsibility of the interim leadership to implement these directives. I will ask the opinion of your interim leaders and rely on the judgment of Father Kirwin in reaching my own judgment about whether or not these directives have been adequately carried out. I must say, in all candor, that if I judge that they have not carried out in adequate fashion, I shall withdraw my recognition. I do not want to take that step; rather, it is my hope that we shall work together to strengthen the community now and in the years ahead.
I want to assure you that I shall be praying for all of you and working closely with your interim leaders. I know these past months have been painful for you; and I grieve over the difficulties which surfaced. Now I ask your wholehearted cooperation in remedying these difficulties and deficiencies. In many times past, I have received from your leaders and from many of you, expressions of your loyalty and love. I have received assurances of your readiness to follow whatever directives I deem best. Please know I have reached these directives after much prayer and discernment. I know some of them are difficult and it will take much patience and love to work them out. Again, I ask your cooperation, your prayers and your love. Together, let us beseech the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God and patroness of this community. In union with our Holy Father and with all the Church, let us continue our journey to the Kingdom where Christ lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Letter to the President of the USA, Bill Clinton (March 21, 1994)
Oct 24, 2004
Concerning recent remarks of the Surgeon General, Joycelyn Elders, advocating homosexual behavior and the expressing support for adoption by so-called homosexual couples.
My Dear Mr. President,
I must take strong exception to the recent remarks of the Surgeon General, Joycelyn Elders, advocating homosexual behavior and the expressing support for adoption by so-called homosexual couples. Furthermore, I deeply regret her apparent intolerance of people whose religious faith and moral values collide with her own ill-considered views.
The Surgeon General irresponsibly accuses religious leaders of holding that human sexuality is solely for procreation. Her words are a misleading caricature. In our Catholic tradition the two fundamental purposes of human sexuality--the expression of the committed love of husband and wife and openness to new human life--are linked together. Human sexuality is a great gift from God which enables couples to express their love for one another and in the context of that love to create and care for a family. Such a view is supported both by faith and reason; it does not involve the suppression of human sexuality but rather its right use for the good of individuals and society.
The strength of our country, Mr. President, has always been in the vitality of our families, not in the might of our weapons. By contrast, the breakdown of the family has been the root of so many of the social problems which, as a nation, we now struggle to overcome. The comments of Surgeon General Elders are destructive of a true understanding of family life. It is one thing to defend the human rights of homosexual men and women; it is quite another to encourage, as she does, a life-style which puts so-called homosexual unions on a par with marriage and family and condones homosexual behavior among young people.
Mr. President, I strongly urge you to take responsibility for the Surgeon General's harmful and offensive remarks and publicly to disavow them. Respectfully I ask that you urge Dr. Elders to be more tolerant of religious teachings with respect to human sexuality. Whether she knows it or not, the religious teachings, leaders and institutions which her remarks attack are vitally important to solving many of our nation's social ills.
Sincerely in Christ,
James Cardinal Hickey,
Archbishop of Washington.
Nothing Has Devastated our Culture More than Abortion
Oct 24, 2004
(Cardinal’s Reflexions, February 2000) It's finally arrived: the Great Jubilee Year when we are all called to reconcile with others, forgive debts and deepen our faith. That seems like a very tall order for just one year. How could any of us accomplish all that?
The answer is simple: we don't have to do it alone. God, through His loving mercy, is there to help us. This Jubilee Year offers a wonderful opportunity for us to truly open our hearts to Christ and to let Him work through us, showing the immense power of His love and forgiveness. Let me give you an example.
Nothing has devastated our culture more than abortion. Everyone, even without participating directly, has been affected by this tragedy. More than 80 million parents, 160 million grandparents, and countless relatives have lost a child through abortion. It has broken families and ended relationships. But, perhaps its most devastating legacy has been the number of women and men it has estranged from Christ, from the Church and from themselves.
The pain of abortion has seared their hearts while the fear they can never be forgiven by God has seared their souls. I have seen the sorrow in their eyes when I’ve spoken about abortion. It is very difficult to stand before someone and know my words are evoking such pain. Yet, I pray that my words may also bring peace.
And that is because my message is one of Christ's love. Through Him, all can be forgiven. He is the One who truly can heal the spiritual wound of abortion and end the despair. He does not condemn. God wants nothing more than to break through the bondage of grief felt by those hurt by abortion with His healing gift of mercy. He is the message of reconciliation we are called to follow this Jubilee Year. One only needs to ask.
As Pope John Paul II writes in the Gospel of Life, "the Father of mercies is ready to give you His forgiveness and His peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You will come to understand that nothing is definitively lost and you will…be able to ask forgiveness from your child, who is now living in the Lord."
If You are Hurting from an Abortion
So, in this Year of Jubilee, I ask if you are hurting from an abortion you have had or have helped someone else have, please do not suffer alone, but seek out the mercy of Christ and be healed. If you do not know how to begin, I offer you the following suggestions:
1. Call Project Rachel (202-269-4673)
This confidential counseling and healing ministry serves anyone affected by abortion. Professional counselors, priests and caring staff are available to help you deal with your loss and grief, to help you learn to forgive yourself and to accept God's forgiveness.
2. Speak with your parish priest
Do not be afraid to call. You will not be judged, but loved. He will assure you of God's mercy and work with you to heal and be reconciled with your faith.
3. Attend a Mass for those affected by abortion
Several times over the next year, Masses will be held for those who have been wounded by abortion--mothers and fathers, grandparents, medical workers. Call 301-853-4555 for information.
4. Pray
Open your heart to Christ and seek his forgiveness. He will hear you.
Reaching Out to Those Who Have Been Hurt by an Abortion
Even if you have not had an abortion, it is likely you know someone who has been affected by one. After all, more 38 million have taken place in our nation since they were legalized in 1973. Therefore, during this Jubilee Year, I ask you to make a special commitment to reach out to the women and men hurting from the tragedy of abortion. Help them reconcile with themselves, with Christ and with their faith.
But how? I understand you may want to help, but aren't sure how to do so. Therefore, I offer the following "do's and don'ts" to assist you. I encourage you to keep this list handy throughout the year and to be ready whenever anyone reaches out to you:
1. Do listen patiently and be reassuring
It can be difficult for someone who has had an abortion to sort out feelings. Verbalizing them with someone who will listen helps. Be aware that fathers, or even a baby's grandparents, may feel guilt at urging an abortion. Perhaps they paid for the abortion or threatened to abandon the mother if the pregnancy continued.
2. Do not condemn
Remember that no matter what has been done, Christ, through the Church, can and will forgive once the abortion has been acknowledged and reconciliation has been sought.
3. Do not deny they lost a child; allow them to regret the choice and mourn their loss
We learn from the errors we make, even the serious ones. Encourage them to "let go" of the anger and hurt and to approach forgiveness.
4. Do encourage them to entrust their child to the care and love of God
5. Do offer Project Rachel's phone number (202-269-4673)
Encourage them to accept the help of post-abortion counseling or peer support groups. If you do not have Project Rachel’s number with you, promise to provide the number within a week, and then keep the promise.
6. Do offer your time or financial support to Project Rachel
You can make a difference in the lives of others.
And, finally,
7. Do pray
Through prayer, you can unite yourself with the thousands of women and men who are suffering from the emotional and spiritual pain of abortion. Ask the Lord to encourage them to seek His mercy and ask that He bestow His mercy upon those involved with an abortion.
Please be assured of my own prayers for healing and reconciliation. May this Jubilee Year be a year of hope and love.
Defending Pius XII Against Slander
Oct 24, 2004
Jewish leaders and ordinary citizens publicly thanked Pope Pius XII for his role in saving Jewish lives during World War II. I know this first-hand. I was a young priest studying in Rome shortly after the War when a large number of Jews met with Pope Pius XII to express their gratitude.
(Cardinal’s Reflection, November 1999) Two new books on Pope Pius XII recently came across my desk. One was an astonishing attack on the Pope, supposedly based on "secret" Vatican archives. The other summarized actual Vatican documents, painting a very different picture of the Pope's actions during the Holocaust.
Unfortunately, the sensationalism of the first book, by John Cornwell, landed it in the pages of popular magazines and made it the subject of countless columns and editorials, most of which blindly accepted the book's assertions as true. What are the claims? That Pope Pius XII personally was responsible for permitting the Holocaust and helping the Nazis gain power. The problem is, this just doesn't add up.
The Holocaust was a tragedy beyond comprehension. I can only attempt to express my intense sorrow at the suffering of the Jewish people. We Remember: A Reflection on the "Shoah," released by the Vatican last year, rightfully calls the Holocaust an "unspeakable tragedy which can never be forgotten." The heartbreaking truth is many Christians not only turned their backs on Jewish neighbors, but participated in the violence against them. Pope Pius XII was not one of them so it is time to set the record straight.
Myth 1: Pope Pius XII has always been criticized for his role in World War II
Not quite. The truth is Jewish leaders and ordinary citizens publicly thanked Pope Pius XII for his role in saving Jewish lives during World War II. I know this first-hand. I was a young priest studying in Rome shortly after the War when a large number of Jews met with Pope Pius XII to express their gratitude.
Jewish leaders such as Dr. Joseph Nathan, of the Italian Hebrew Commission; Dr. A. Leo Kubowitzki, secretary general of the World Jewish Congress; and representatives of people imprisoned in German concentration camps all thanked the Pope for saving Jewish lives. (1)
And, when Pope Pius XII died in 1958, Golda Meir wrote, "When fearful martyrdom came to our people in the decade of Nazi terror, the voice of the Pope was raised for its victims. The life of our times was enriched by a voice speaking out about great moral truths…" (2)
In fact, it wasn't until 1963--nearly 20 years after the war and five years after Pope Pius XII's death--that history was revised. And, it wasn't by the Jewish community or academic researchers who had uncovered new information. No, the attacks were the work of a single German playwright whose sensationalist fictional work, The Deputy, asserted the Pope had been a Nazi collaborator. (3)
Myth 2: Pope Pius XII was a "puppet" of Adolf Hitler
Consider this: the day after Cardinal Pacelli was elected Pope, a Berlin newspaper commented, "The election of Cardinal Pacelli is not accepted with favor in Germany because he was always opposed to Nazism." (4) Indeed, Cardinal Pacelli's views would have been well-known in Germany since he had served there as a member of the Vatican's diplomatic corps between 1917 and 1929.
Further, the Vatican archives include documents which show the Holy Father met with German generals who were seeking to overthrow Hitler as well as documentation that he passed military intelligence on to France and Britain as early as 1940. (5)
Finally, a December 1942 Gestapo report said, "…the Pope has repudiated the National Socialist New European Order [Nazism]...the Pope does not refer to the National Socialists in Germany by name, but his speech is one long attack on everything we stand for...Here he is clearly speaking on behalf of the Jews." (6)
Myth 3: Pope Pius XII was silent about the Holocaust, leading to thousands of Jewish deaths
Pope Pius XII was on record against Nazism as early as the 1920's. At the same time, he was concerned that a public denunciation of atrocities would increase the suffering of people living under Nazi control.
In 1943, Pope Pius XII said, "…every public sign from us must be seriously pondered and measured by us in the interest of those who are suffering, so as not to make, even unwittingly, their situation more serious and unbearable." (7)
Robert Kempner, deputy chief of the Nuremberg war-crimes tribunal, pointed out public denunciations by the Church against Hitler provoked retaliation. (8) After Dutch bishops condemned atrocities in that nation, Jewish residents, and priests and nuns with Jewish ancestry, were taken to concentration camps and killed.
Like the Pope, the International Red Cross and the World Council of Churches worked quietly rather than condemn loudly. (9)
And, what we cannot ignore is the thousands of Jewish lives saved in Rome through the efforts of Pope Pius XII, priests, religious and lay Catholics. So many examples abound. Thousands of Jews hid in convents, monasteries and Catholic homes. In fact, it was Pope Pius XII who directed convents to open their doors to male refugees so no one would be denied a safe haven. (10)
Myth 4: The Vatican covered up its records from the World War II era
Author John Cornwell claims "exclusive" access to "secret" Vatican archives in making his sensationalist claims. This simply isn't true. As Newsweek reporter Ken Woodward points out, the "secret" archives on this matter aren't so secret - any academic researcher can look at them. (11) In addition, Jesuit Father Peter Gumpel, the postulator for the cause to canonize Pope Pius XII, points out that Mr. Cornwell's book omits key witness accounts and other facts which refute his book's assertions. (12)
In fact, between 1965 and 1981, researchers scoured the Vatican's archives, publishing 12 volumes of World War II documents. One of these researchers, Jesuit Father Pierre Blet, synthesized the information into a single book in the hopes of making the information easily available to a wide audience. His work, Pius XII and the Second World War in the Vatican Archives, was just published in English by Paulist Press. Doesn't sound like much of a cover up, does it?
The facts are there for anyone interested in the truth. I urge you to be cautious in accepting reports in the popular press and to read Fr. Blet's new book for the real story of Pope Pius XII and this era of Church history.
Pius XII and the Second World War in the Vatican Archives, by Pierre Blet, S.J. is available at Catholic bookstores or from Paulist Press (www.paulistpress.org or 1-800-218-1903).
Endnotes:
1. L'Osservatore Romano, Sept. 8, Sept. 23 and Nov. 30, 1945 as quoted in the Shoah document
2. Ibid.
3. Pierre Blet, SJ, Pius XII and the Second World War, According to the Archives of the Vatican, Paulist Press: 1999, p. xi
4. Sr. Margherita Marchione, The Truth about Pope Pius XII (www.catholicleague.org/truth.htm)
5. Pierre Blet, as quoted in "Pius XII is victim of calumny, scholar says," Catholic World News: October 31, 1997
6. Marchione
7. Vatican Information Service, Oct. 8, 1999
8. Blet, Catholic World News
9. Robert Graham, SJ, "How to Manufacture a Legend: The Controversy Over the Alleged Silence of Pope Pius XII on World War II," from Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust
10. Blet, Pius XII and the Second World War, p. 215
11. Kenneth L. Woodward, "The Case Against Pius XII," Newsweek International Edition: Sept. 27, 1999
12. Peter Gumpel, SJ, "Cornwell's Pope: A Nasty Caricature of a Noble and Saintly Man," Zenit: September 16, 1999
Cardinal Hickey Urges Parishioners to Actively Oppose Capital Punishment Proposals in the District
Oct 24, 2004
The following letter from Cardinal James A. Hickey, Archbishop of Washington, opposing recent proposals to legalize the death penalty in the District of Columbia was read to parishioners in all 41 Catholic Churches at Masses, Sunday, September 14, 1997.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In a 1992 referendum, the residents of the District of Columbia rejected capital punishment. The City Council ratified that choice in 1997. Nevertheless, proposals are now surfacing to legalize the death penalty in the District of Columbia. I writ to encourage you to express resolute opposition to those proposals.
In his encyclical entitled The Gospel of Life, our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, teaches that capital punishment should be used only "in cases of absolute necessity -- when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society." He goes on to state hat "such cases are rare, if not practically non-existent." (Evangelium Vitae, 56)
Out of regard for the dignity of all human life, and with a clear-headed recognition that the death penalty is disproportionately meted out to minority groups, the Archdiocese of Washington has consistently opposed efforts to re-instate the death penalty. While we deplore violent crime, particularly the murder of police officers, we believe that our city must find other means to redress such violence.
The Bishops of the United States have written:
The critical question for the Christian is how we can best foster respect for life, preserve the dignity of the human person and manifest the redemptive message of Christ. We do not believe that more death is the response to the question. We, therefore, have to seek methods of dealing with violent crime which are more consistent with the Gospel's vision of respect for life and Christs's message of God's healing love. In the sight of God, correction of the offender has to take preference over punishment. For the Lord came to save and not condemn.
Thank you for your attention to these important teachings of our Church. I pray that the Lord will bless you and your loved ones.
Cardinal Calls On Georgetown To Display Crucifixes
Oct 24, 2004
(CWN November 21, 1997) Washington, DC - Cardinal James Hickey of Washington on Thursday called for Georgetown University to recall its Jesuit heritage and display the crucifix in all classrooms and campus facilities.
Writing in the Catholic Standard newspaper, Cardinal Hickey said: "Frankly, I can't imagine why a university, run by the Society of Jesus and operating under a pontifical charter, would have to debate the issue."
The cardinal also urged university officials to revoke its invitation for New Ways Ministry, a local homosexual advocacy group under investigation by the Vatican, which is set to host a campus debate on homosexuality and Catholic doctrine. He recalled his repeated warnings about the theological and pastoral approach taken by the group.
The cardinal urged the university to reject secular standards by allowing any group to be invited to speak at the campus by student organizations. "What's wrong with this picture?" asked Cardinal Hickey. "For starters, these standards are not significantly different from those employed by secular universities and colleges." He added that the policy allows university officials to avoid responsibility when student groups invite speakers that are "truly inimical to the Catholic faith."
The Tabernacle on the High Altar
Oct 24, 2004
(The Wanderer, December 2, 1999) The rumors in the press room on the final day of the U.S. bishops' annual meeting were that Domus Dei—the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy's proposed document dealing with the art and architecture of Catholic churches was "dead on arrival."
The rumors proved correct.
One after another, nearly three dozen bishops, including three cardinals, acknowledged how the liturgical changes and mandates of the postconciliar period have weakened, damaged, or destroyed the faith of the Catholic people.
And by far the biggest mistake, it was finally acknowledged, was the "recommendation" that the tabernacle should be removed from a central altar.
James Cardinal Hickey of Washington, D.C. agreed with all the previous speakers who spoke of the centrality of the tabernacle. "It reinforces our belief in the Eucharist and the Real Presence, as it is greeted, genuflected before, and as it helps keep prayerful silence in a church.....If tabernacles are reinstated," he added, "it will help, restore a sense of prayer to our churches.
"I think also," he continued, "it is important to foster eucharistic devotions and benedictions, but also we should not overlook private visits. These are the ways we sustain our faith in the Eucharist.
"I hope we will not be the captives of architects who may or may not share our Catholic faith, and do not accept the fullness of our eucharistic teaching. The architect should not be the last word; certainly the parishioners, the pastor and the bishop should have the last word...
"On the disposition of art and sacred objects," he continued, "mention has been made they are going to flea markets. Other options are available. I'm not a canonist, but I don't think sacred art should go to flea markets."
Response to Cardinal Bernardin’s "Catholic Common Ground Project"
Oct 24, 2004
(First Things, November 1996) A very public conflict between cardinals was triggered by an August 12, 1996 press conference at which Joseph Cardinal Bernardin of Chicago announced that he was launching a "Catholic Common Ground Project" aimed at reconciling differences among Catholic Americans.
The rationale of the project was set out in a three-thousand-word statement, "Called to be Catholic: Church in a Time of Peril," which Monsignor Philip J. Murnion said had been in preparation for several years.
Murnion, who heads the staff of the project, directs the National Pastoral Life Center in New York and has a long association with Cardinal Bernardin. Through dialogues, conferences, and publications, the project hopes to establish the common ground that will help mediate what its sponsors view as the "extremes" dividing the Church. The project will draw on the suggestions of an advisory committee of twenty- five persons, clergy and lay.
The response to the Bernardin initiative was swift and, in many cases, sharply critical. Although he had included Roger Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles on the advisory group and had notified some bishops and the Holy See of his intentions, there was no advance consultation with, among others, the cardinal archbishops of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, and Detroit.
The day following Bernardin's press conference, James Cardinal Hickey of Washington issued a statement affirming the need to seek fuller unity but asserting that the project's declared purpose "obscures the true 'common ground' for any effort to bring about unity within the Church. That true 'common ground' is found in Scripture and Tradition as handed on through the teaching office of the Holy Father and the bishops. Indeed, we are fortunate to have a reliable and complete expression of our 'common ground' in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We cannot achieve Church unity by accommodating those who dissent from Church teaching-whether on the left or on the right. To compromise the faith of the Church is to forfeit our 'common ground' and to risk deeper polarization."
"To be sure," said Hickey, [the project's statement of purpose] "recognizes the Magisterium as authoritative and deserving of respect. But it also seems to regard magisterial teaching as only one element of a consensus that is to be forged out of contrasting opinions." " In fact, says Hickey, ""the Magisterium guarantees that the Lord's message will not be corrupted or manipulated by those who have a message of their own to offer. . . . Church doctrine on faith and morals is deeply rooted in what the Lord has said and done to save us. It is His message we must preach, even when it is distinctly unpopular." "
Cardinal James A. Hickey, Former Archbishop of Washington, Dies at Age 84
Oct 24, 2004
Cardinal James A. Hickey, Archbishop of Washington for 20 years, from 1980-2000, died early this morning, October 24, 2004, at the age of 84. His Funeral Mass is scheduled for Saturday, October 30, 10:30 a.m. at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Other arrangements regarding public visitation will be announced.
Ordained a priest 58 years ago, James A. Hickey was Auxiliary Bishop of Saginaw (Michigan), rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome and Bishop of Cleveland before Pope John Paul II appointed him Archbishop of Washington. During his two decades in Washington, Cardinal Hickey oversaw a significant expansion of social services, a renewal of Catholic elementary schools in the District of Columbia and the establishment of 16 new parishes and missions.
Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, his successor as Archbishop of Washington, remembered Cardinal Hickey, whom he first met over 40 years ago, “The death of Cardinal Hickey is poignant loss for the Church of Washington and a personal loss for me. Although he carried a heavy cross of illness during the past few years, his courage and faith continued to be a great inspiration to us all. His extraordinary service to the Church and this community in the education of children and the care of the poor and the stranger will only be completely realized in the passage of time. He was a great archbishop and a good and holy priest. We will all miss his smile and his wisdom very much.”
Early Years
James A. Hickey was born in Midland, Michigan on October 11, 1920 to James P. and Agnes Hickey. He entered the seminary at age 13, studying at St. Joseph’s Seminary and Sacred Heart Seminary College in Detroit. While still in the seminary, he was assigned to provide pastoral care to migrant workers, starting a lifetime of commitment to better the plight of immigrants. After receiving his license in theology from The Catholic University of America, James Hickey, then 25, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Saginaw on June 15, 1946.
Rome
He served briefly as an associate pastor at St. Joseph in Saginaw before earning a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Lateran University in 1950 and a doctorate in moral theology at the Pontifical Angelicum University in 1951. Both universities are in Rome, Italy.
Father Hickey then became priest-secretary to Bishop Stephen S. Woznicki and rector of St. Paul Seminary in Saginaw. He attended the Second Vatican Council between 1962 and 1965 in the role of theological expert. In 1967, Pope Paul VI named him Auxiliary Bishop of Saginaw. In 1969, Bishop Hickey, who had a lifelong interest in vocations, became rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy, where he oversaw the formation of seminarians from 80 U.S. dioceses.
Cleveland and El Salvador
In 1974, Bishop Hickey was named the Bishop of Cleveland, with pastoral care for nearly one million Catholics. He chose the motto, “Veritatem in caritate,” or “truth in charity” for his coat of arms, a phrase that would well describe how he served the Catholic Church and broader community. In Cleveland, he became a leading advocate of racial unity in that city and became active in justice issues involving El Salvador. Just before Pope John Paul II named him Archbishop of Washington in 1980, he traveled to El Salvador to attend the funeral of the martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero. Later that year, a sister and a lay women whom Bishop Hickey had commissioned to serve as missionaries in El Salvador were murdered, along with two other sisters. He kept their photographs on the wall of his private chapel for the rest of his life, and called for an end to military aid to that nation.
Archdiocese of Washington: 1980-2000
James Hickey was installed as Archbishop on August 5, 1980 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew. Eight years later, on June 28, 1988, Pope John Paul II elevated him to the College of Cardinals.
During his two decades as archbishop, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington became the region’s largest private social service agency, serving 80,000 people each year, while the Spanish Catholic Center provided social services and legal and medical assistance to 36,000 people annually by the time the Cardinal stepped down. Programs started under his leadership included the Archdiocesan Health Care Network and Archdiocesan Legal Network, which provide millions of dollars in pro bono care for the region’s low income residents; Birthing and Care, which provides pre-natal, delivery and post-natal medical care and other support to women in financial need; and Faith in the City, an initiative to revitalize inner-city Catholic elementary schools through new resources and partnerships with the business community.
To serve the region’s growing elderly population, Victory Housing, a non-profit agency that develops assisted and independent living for senior citizens and affordable family housing, was started. With Mother Teresa, he dedicated the Gift of Peace Convent, where the Missionaries of Charity care for the homeless and terminally ill, including those with AIDS, as well as two other programs with the Missionaries of Charity. In 2001, Cardinal Hickey’s special love for those in need was recognized when Catholic Charities’ named its new downtown headquarters, at 924 G Street, NW, the James Cardinal Hickey Center.
Under his leadership, adult religious education and faith formation flourished; thousands of parishioners participated in classes and faith-sharing groups. Cardinal Hickey published pastoral letters on nuclear weapons (1982), the sacrament of penance (1984), the Eucharist (1984), substance abuse (1989), evangelization in the schools (1993), young Catholics (1993), care of the sick and dying (1993, with the other bishops of Maryland) and on the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994), as well as a major document on combating racism (1991). Over 30,000 total people participated in an Archdiocesan Convocation (1998) and an October 2000 Eucharistic Congress to mark the Jubilee of Christ’s birth. The Cardinal also played an integral role in establishing the Council for Major Superiors of Women Religious. He received the Pope Pius XI Award (1993) and Karski Award (2000) from the Anti-Defamation League for his efforts to strengthen relationships between Catholics and Jews, and the Gaudium et Spes award, the highest honor given by the Knights of Columbus.
He established 12 parishes, four pastoral missions and two schools, including the Cardinal Hickey Academy in Dunkirk, as part of the Archdiocese’s largest building boom since the post-World War II era. At the time of his retirement, the Archdiocese of Washington had become a diverse community, with Mass offered in 25 languages, and 140 parishes and 106 schools serving more than 510,000 Catholics in the District of Columbia and Montgomery, Prince George's, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's Counties.
Roles with the Vatican and Bishops’ Conference
In addition to his local responsibilities, Cardinal Hickey served on a number of Vatican Congregations and Councils, including the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, Congregation for the Clergy, Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Congregation for Catholic Education and the Pontifical Council for the Family
He traveled to Central America to discuss human rights and policy, and testified before Congress on these issues. He served as chairman of committees of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (now the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops), including Chairman of Priestly Formation (1968-1969), Chairman of Pastoral Research and Practices (1974-1977), Chairman of the Committee for Doctrine (1979-81), Chairman of the Committee on Human Values (1984-1987) and Chairman of the Committee on the North American College (1989-1991; 1994-1997).
How He will be Remembered
When asked 15 years ago by a Washington Post reporter how he would like to be remembered, Cardinal Hickey told her, “First, I’d like them to say he was always loyal to his church. Second, that he was a friend to Catholic education. And third, if they don’t want to say the first two, at least I would hope they would chisel on the stone, ‘He served the poor.’”
Cardinal James A. Hickey will be remembered for all of this and more.
Letter to the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Apostolic Societies