மதச்சார்பற்ற கொள்கையை எதிர்க்கவேண்டும்- போப்பாண்டவர் அழைப்பு

மதச்சார்பற்ற கொள்கையை எதிர்க்கவேண்டும்- போப்பாண்டவர் அழைப்பு
Pope tells bishops to fight secular ideology



Yahoo! Buzz Digg Newsvine Reddit FacebookWhat's this?By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Pope Benedict XVI prayed with and praised the nation's bishops Wednesday — then told them bluntly they need to do more to combat secularism, build up Catholic values and heal the church in the wake of the devastating sexual abuse crisis.
The pope addressed more than 300 bishops at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the nation's largest Catholic church. He urged them to step up their pastoral efforts on all fronts.

But his voice became low and serious when he spoke about the "deep shame" of the abuse crisis. He said bishops have admitted to him that the crisis, which exploded in 2002 and continues to date, "was sometimes very badly handled."

"Many of you have spoken to me of the enormous pain that your communities have suffered when clerics have betrayed their priestly oblications and duties by such gravely immoral behavior," he said.

'Bind up the wounds'

"It is your God-given responsibility as pastors to bind up the wounds caused by every breach of trust, to foster healing, to promote reconciliation and to reach out with loving concern to those so seriously wronged."

In Benedict's prior role as the Vatican's chief enforcer of doctrine, he approved new church laws required for U.S. bishops to exercise "zero tolerance" — to remove credibly accused priests from ministry.

Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta called the address "a strong speech telling us clearly to lead, and how to lead, and not to be disheartened by the challenges we face."

Gregory, who was president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops during the most wrenching years of the sexual abuse crisis, said he was grateful Benedict spoke well of bishops' efforts to remove abusive priests and prevent further abuse.

"It was very affirming for me personally, because it was during my watch," Gregory said. He added that he appreciated the pope putting the crisis into the larger context of American society.

But David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Benedict's comments felt "like empty words" to victims.

He noted that the pope did not call on bishops to consider their own roles in protecting, even promoting abusive priests. The number of abusers, according to recent church reports, surpasss 5,000 nationwide, in cases involving 14,000 victims.

No bishops have been disciplined by the pope, the only church official with the authority to do so.

Clohessy said that the pope, "minimizes the cover-ups. He refuses to acknowledge that many bishops deliberately hid crimes for decades."

Welcoming immigrants

The pope also spoke about immigration, emphasizing the need for bishops to welcome immigrants as "your fellow countrymen have done for generations." He quoted the sonnet on the Statue of Liberty. The poor and tired in that poem "are the people whom America has made their own," he said.

Catholic bishops have been outspoken in calls for immigration reform.

Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, a former chairman of the bishops' Committee on Migration, said Benedict's remarks on immigration bolster bishops' "efforts to promote comprehensive and compassionate immigration policy.

"We really need his voice right now to help us reach the heads and hearts of this country. It's a moment of grace for these efforts," Wenski said.

Benedict began the address with praise, telling bishops that "the Catholic community you serve is one of the largest in the world and one of the most influential." Americans, he said "do not hesitate to bring moral arguments rooted in Biblical faith into their public discourse."

He complimented U.S. Catholics for their "great vitality and energy," in particular the generous donations after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004.

At the conclusion of the address he presented a chalice as a gift to the bishops of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, citing their courage and tireless efforts.

Secularism and materialism

Benedict spoke about problem of confronting secularism and materialism, saying that many Americans blend a vague belief in God with a "passive acceptance" of the materialism of the secular world. Science and technology and individualism lead people away from their "ultimate purpose" to live in accord with God, he said.

"Is it consistent to profess our beliefs in church on Sunday, then during the week to promote business practices or medical procedures contrary to those beliefs?" Benedict asked.

"Is it consistent for practicing Catholics to ignore or exploit the poor and the marginalized, to promote sexual behavior contrary to Catholic moral teachings, or to adopt positions that contradict the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death?

"Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted," he told bishops.

But Benedict's marching orders were to promote basic values rather than to take any political steps.

Some bishops have made headlines saying they would deny communion to politicians who support abortion rights but the pope has consistently backed a less confrontational, pastoral approach, telling bishops they should guide people in deciding whether they are prepared faithfully to seek communion.

Among those who are expected at the Mass at Nationals Park Thursday are abortion rights supporters including U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Sen. John Kerry. The Vatican Ambassador to the USA, Pietro Sambi, and Archbishop of Washington Donald Wuerl offered communion to Kerry at Wuerl's consecration as archbishop here.

Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, when he introduced the pope Wednesday afternoon, said one of the most troubling issues facing the U.S. church is facing the "demands of discipleship, especially when those demands seem restrictive of sexual freedom." He called it "a constant pastoral challenge."

Pope Benedict spelled out exactly what he expects — and doesn't now see in the church in the USA, which is losing ground to other faiths and even to people who believe nothing in particular.

"The Gospel has to be preaches and taught as an integral way of life, offering an attractive and true answer, intellectually and practically, to real human problems. The 'dictatorship of relativism,' in the end, is nothing less than a threat to genuine human freedom."

In responding to questions submitted in advance, Benedict spoke of a church adrift, where people find it difficult to encounter God in their churches.

"Might it be that many people have forgotten, or never really learned, how to pray in and with the Church?" he asked rhetorically.

What is needed, most of all, he said, is a "renewal of apostolic zeal."