CLIMATE Authentic Experiences
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NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTHE INDEPENDENTTE NEWS RSOURCE NCRonline.org NOVEMBER 6-19, 2015 Vol. 52, No. 2 | $2.95 What’s happening after coal? By BRIAN ROEWE As visitors enter West Virginia, WORLD NEWS billboards present the Mountain State as a region filled with real, CLIMATE authentic experiences. Real adven- ture? Check. Real relaxing? Check. Get the deal done in Real excitement? Check. To Jesuit Paris, urge bishops Fr. Brian O’Donnell of Wheeling in around the globe the northern panhandle, the tourism PAGE 5 campaign asks simply, “Which West Virginia do you want?” That same question could apply just as easily to the people of the state. Theirs is a land enriched with miles of coal seams but one in the midst of grappling with a changing global energy economy and world- view questioning the efficacy and ethics of burning fossil fuels. The reality of life without coal SPECIAL SECTION —AP Photo/David Goldman has become a pressing issue and is overdue for real discussion, said COLLEGES & Above: In October, 2014, coal O’Donnell, executive secretary for UNIVERSITIES miners return after working the Catholic Conference of West Freshmen and faith; a shift underground at the Virginia. While the state’s northern immigrant students; Perkins Branch Coal Mine in and central regions are more diversi- sustainability Cumberland, Ky. fied and stable, its southern portion remains primarily reliant, economi- PAGES 1a-12a Right: A mountaintop cally and culturally, on its coalfields. remvoal coal mine on “The curious case of southern Kayford Mountain, south of West Virginia is a conversation BOOKS Charleston, W.Va. about what’s happening after coal?” O’Donnell said. “Well, you don’t be- MURDER AND gin it by averting to climate change, FORGIVENESS you begin by talking about, what’s the reality about the coal industry in Author makes peace —CNS/Tyler Orsburn Continued on Page 9 with sister’s killer PAGE 21 COLUMN Synod puts forth new paths for the divorced BRITISH TV By JOSHUA J. McELWEE possible, even with all the prep time: matter, closing the asking for a softening of the Catholic Oct. 4-25 meeting with Shows to give your Netflix VATICAN CITY . Three weeks of intense and church’s practice toward those who a strong renewal of account a workout sometimes publicly heated debates. have divorced and remarried. his continual empha- PAGE 23 One year of preparation, involving Some 270 prelates approved — by sis of the boundless nature of divine the considerations of the entire glob- two-thirds majority — new language mercy, saying, “The church’s first duty al church. A year before that of even for consideration by Pope Francis is not to hand down condemnations more preparation for the two-week- that says persons who have remarried or anathemas, but to proclaim God’s long pre-meeting of sorts. should discern decisions about their mercy.” And on Oct. 24, the 2015 Synod of spiritual lives individually in concert Although the final document from Bishops ended by doing something with the guidance of priests. the synod says discernment for re- many had come to think might be im- The pope himself put a point on the Continued on Page 6 NCR research: Costs of sex abuse crisis to US church underestimated By JACK RUHL and DIANE RUHL Between 1950 and August of this year, the church has paid out The U.S. Catholic church has in- $3,994,797,060.10, NCR found. curred nearly $4 billion in costs re- That figure is based on a three- lated to the priest sex abuse crisis month investigation of data, in- during the past 65 years, according cluding a review of more than 7,800 to an extensive NCR investigation of articles gleaned from LexisNexis Ac- media reports, databases and church ademic and NCR databases, as well as documents. information from BishopAccount —AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes In addition, separate research ability.org and from reports from the Plaintiff Lee Bashforth holds a photo of recently published calculates that U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. This issue was mailed on Oct. 30. mailed on Oct. This issue was himself outside Los Angeles Superior Court other scandal-related consequences Up until now, “nearly $3 billion” on July 16, 2007, the day that the Los An- such as lost membership and divert- has been the most widely cited fig- geles archdiocese and attorneys for more ed giving has cost the church more ure by media, academics and activ- than 500 victims of clergy sex abuse ar- than $2.3 billion annually for the ists for the cost to the U.S. church rived at a $660 million settlement. past 30 years. (See story on Page 15.) Continued on Page 15 NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER NOVEMBER 6-19, 2015 NATION 9 Richard Miller, a theology professor at COAL: ‘HOW MUCH OF A PRICE DOES APPALACHIA HAVE TO PAY?’ Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., Continued from Page 1 and editor of God, Creation, and Cli- mate Change: A Catholic Response to southern West Virginia? It’s failing, the Environmental Crisis. so we really do have to think about the The pope, Miller said, places natural future.” gas at the top and oil in the middle — In nearby eastern Kentucky, similar both fuels generate fewer carbon emis- realities are unfolding. This is part of sions than coal. Bishop John the reason Bishop John Stowe, in mid- “That is, better to choose oil instead Stowe of Lex- August, spent his 100th day as head of of coal, better to choose natural gas in- ington, Ky.: the Lexington diocese traveling more stead of oil,” Miller said. “Choosing the than 350 miles in a daylong tour of the Stowe noted that Francis is “not call- lesser of two area’s coalfields. He saw the effects of ing for immediate, overnight solutions evils is some- mountaintop removal, heard the con- that are going to radically displace thing that we cerns of coal executives and miners, people — I think there’s a sensitivity have to do and felt, through the words of a retired to that. And choosing the lesser of two frequently in miner tethered to his oxygen tank, the evils is something that we have to do the moral life.” pains of black lung from a lifetime in frequently in the moral life when there the mines. isn’t a perfect solution readily avail- Outside the tour, Stowe, a Francis- able.” can, so far has spent the early portion At the same time, Dan Finn, the of his time in his new home reading Clemens Professor in Economics and past pastoral letters of Appalachia the Liberal Arts at the College of St. and studying the region’s rocky his- —CNS/Cross Roads/Skip Olson Benedict and St. John’s University in tory with coal. Collegeville, Minn., said the argument “I know that many people depended to a lesser degree, gas — needs to be man person, even those in the mining for jobs doesn’t justify continuing the on its mining for their livelihood here, progressively replaced without delay. and drilling sectors, at the heart of energy status quo. but that it caused a lot of suffering and Until greater progress is made in de- the encyclical, said Bishop Paul Eti- “That’s not reason enough to say, a lot of economic injustice in the area. veloping widely accessible sources of enne of Cheyenne, Wyo., a sparsely ‘OK, then, let’s just stick with what So coal is and remains a controversial renewable energy, it is legitimate to populated state that produces nearly we’re doing here,’ because in fact we topic in this part of the country,” he choose the lesser of two evils or to find 40 percent of U.S. coal (or roughly four never will have a larger role played by told NCR. short-term solutions.” times West Virginia or Kentucky), and renewable energy resources until we Against this backdrop, Appalachia’s “I think that paragraph is pretty ranks in the top 10 in oil and natural make changes to the current uses and Catholic communities received Pope clear,” said Erin Lothes, a theologian gas drilling. current policies,” he said. Francis’ encyclical on the environ- who studies energy ethics at the Col- “I don’t think he’s wanting to see Added Miller, “The worker cannot ment and human ecology, “Laudato lege of St. Elizabeth in Morristown, an entire group of people in particu- be protected at the expense of the hu- Si’, on Care for Our Common Home.” N.J. lar industries unemployed, that’s cer- man rights of people around the world While the document stretches more “It means that highly polluting tainly not his desire. … But I think he and young generations.” than 40,000 words, 31 of them acutely energy is the lesser of two evils. It’s wants to open this dialogue, and he’s elucidate reaction there: “We know tolerable in the short-term while ac- calling for new models, I think, of how that technology based on the use of tion is being taken to generate more we drive this economy,” said Etienne, Transition underway highly polluting fossil fuels — espe- widely accessible, healthier solutions. current president of Catholic Rural Apparent academic interpretations cially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser But highly polluting energy is an evil Life, a national agricultural outreach of Francis’ fossil-fuel pronouncement degree, gas — needs to be progressive- nonetheless, because of the harm it’s organization. quickly become soot-covered in real- ly replaced without delay.” inflicting on human health and well- Lothes said that the pope has world application: The effort, it’s clear, The sentence, a small extract one can being and environmental integrity,” stressed that investments that yield won’t be clean-cut.