‘Chuc mung nam moi’ Archbishop celebrates lunar New Year Mass with Vietnamese Catholic Congregation, page 16. Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com February 14, 2014 Vol. LIV, No. 18 75¢ A turbulent year that strengthened Natalie Hoefer Photo by ‘I just the papacy want to VATICAN CITY (CNS)—When Pope Benedict XVI announced, on Feb. 11, 2013, that he would become the first pope in nearly 600 years to resign, speculation was as right a varied as it was excited about the long-term consequences of his historic act. But one common line of thought held that, for better or worse, his decision might leave the papacy wrong’ a less exalted and powerful office, bringing the supreme pontiff closer to the level of other bishops, clergy and faithful. Might the presence of two living popes inside the Vatican sow confusion over where governing authority actually lay, or, at least, dilute the prestige of the unique role of Vicar of Christ? Might the precedent of resignation make it easier to drive a future pope from office, thus introducing a new kind of political pressure into the leadership of the Church? The background of Pope Benedict’s Marianne Anderson smiles as she is introduced to speak at the Great Lakes Gabriel Project dinner on Feb. 6 at the Southside Knights of Columbus decision added to the sense of crisis. Although Council #3660 building in Indianapolis. Anderson worked for two-and-a-half years as a nurse at the Planned Parenthood facility at 86th St. and the 85-year-old pope said he was stepping Georgetown Road in Indianapolis, where the most abortions occur in the state. down due to deteriorating “strength of mind and body,” it was easy to believe that a year of scandal and controversy—over leaked Former local Planned Parenthood nurse correspondence documenting corruption and incompetence in the Vatican—had helped convince him he was “no longer suited to an shares her story of walking away from evil adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.” From that assumption, it was a small (Editor’s note: Due to the graphic nature abortion center. up their conscious sedation program stretch to wonder whether the demands of portions of this article regarding The mother of two and grandmother of [which allowed clients to purchase of the 21st-century papacy—in terms of abortions and general operations at one has begun to talk about her experiences mild to moderate sedatives to be given communications, management and travel— Planned Parenthood, adults may want at the abortion facility. intravenously before an abortion]. Plus had grown too heavy for any man, especially to review its contents before sharing it Anderson, who now works as a nurse the job was very close to my house.” one as old as most popes. with children.) at Community North Hospital, shared her Q. Did you know what they were When the newly elected Pope Francis story at two recent events sponsored by about, what they did? stepped out on the loggia in front of By Natalie Hoefer the Great Lakes Gabriel Project, which A. “I did. And I must admit I was kind St. Peter’s Basilica on the evening of offers help and support to women in crisis of on the fence about abortion. I think a March 13, 2013, his words and gestures Marianne Anderson recently pregnancies. Many Catholics across central lot of it came from working at Wishard seemed to encourage predictions of a drove with her mother past the and southern Indiana are involved in this [Hospital], and seeing girls that had downscaled papacy. The new pontiff broke Planned Parenthood facility at 86th Street pro-life initiative. attempted abortion themselves and ended with usual practice by asking for the people’s and Georgetown Road in Indianapolis, The following are excerpts from a recent up with hysterectomies, or boyfriends blessing before he gave them his own, and the state’s largest provider of abortions. interview she had with The Criterion, beating them because they were pregnant. referred to himself simply as the bishop “I told my mom, ‘To think that that during which Anderson revealed her My thought was, ‘Well, you need a safe of Rome. building exists for no other reason than to experiences at the Planned Parenthood place [for an abortion]. People shouldn’t Was Pope Francis signaling his intention kill unborn babies.’ I still get a knot in my facility and the support she received from be doing it on their own. And people are to play a less commanding role than his stomach when I drive by there.” members of the Great Lakes Gabriel going to be doing it anyway, so why not predecessors, demoting himself to the The knot returns despite the fact Project in her efforts to leave. provide them a safe place to do it?’ ” status of first among episcopal equals, in a that Anderson hasn’t worked at the Q. When and why did you start Q. When did you start having move toward some sort of democratization Planned Parenthood facility since July working for Planned Parenthood? qualms or misgivings about working See PAPACY, page 9 of 2012. Prior to that, she worked for A. “I started working for for Planned Parenthood? two-and-a-half years as a nurse at the Planned Parenthood in 2010 to start See ANDERSON, page 9 Speakers stress commitment to culture of life at Great Lakes Gabriel Project fundraiser By Natalie Hoefer Council #3660 building in Indianapolis. According to their website, Marianne Anderson was nervous as Great Lakes Gabriel Project is a she walked up to the stage and turned non-profit network of volunteers in Photo by Natalie Hoefer Photo by to face the crowd. various churches. They provide “peer It was the nurse’s first time ever counseling about abortion, and offer to speak in public, and the crowd assistance to women and families numbered more than 165 people. experiencing difficult or unplanned But she had a story she pregnancies.” needed to tell. The organization’s founder and “My name is Marianne executive director, Eileen Hartman, Anderson,” she started. “I’ve been offered emotional, spiritual and a nurse for 32 years, including even practical help to Anderson as Christine Lopez, coordinator of the Gabriel Project at two-and-a-half miserable years at the nurse sought to leave her job at SS. Francis and Clare Parish in Greenwood, and her Planned Parenthood.” the Planned Parenthood facility at husband, Ryan, listen as Marianne Anderson shares Anderson was one of two keynote 86th Street and Georgetown Road in her experiences working for the state’s largest abortion speakers at the Great Lakes Gabriel Indianapolis, where the most abortions provider during a Great Lakes Gabriel Project dinner on Project’s fundraiser dinner held on Feb. occur in the state and where Anderson Feb. 6 in Indianapolis. 6 at the Southside Knights of Columbus See FUNDRAISER, page 8 Page 2 The Criterion Friday, February 14, 2014 Pope: Sacrifice key to reaping wealth of God’s love, fighting misery VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Courageously and violations against human dignity, follow Jesus in seeking out the poor which often cause the material poverty and sinners, and in making difficult suffered by those who lack the basic rights sacrifices in order to help and heal others, to food, water, work, development and Pope Francis said. “equal access to education and health Christians are called to confront the care,” he said. Shemitz CNS photo/Gregory A. material, spiritual and moral destitution Sometimes the unjust social conditions of “our brothers and sisters, to touch it, to that rob people of their dignity lead to make it our own and to take practical steps moral destitution—a kind of “impending to alleviate it,” the pope said in his first suicide,” he said. message for Lent, which begins on March 5 Think of how much pain is caused for Latin-rite Catholics. by people, especially the young, when Saving the world will not come about they turn to alcohol, drugs, gambling, “with the right kind of human resources” pornography or other vices because they and token alms, but only “through the “no longer see meaning in life or prospects poverty of Christ,” who emptied himself of for the future,” he said. “How many have the worldly and made the world rich with lost hope!” God’s love and mercy, he said. “By loving and serving the poor, we Released by the Vatican on Feb. 4, the love and serve Christ,” he said, but such text of the pope’s message focused on the service also entails conversion. theme of Christ’s poverty, with the title: “He “When power, luxury and money became poor, so that by his poverty you become idols, they take priority over the Franciscan Father Thomas Walters distributes ashes on Ash Wednesday at St. Francis of Assisi might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). need for a fair distribution of wealth. Our Church in New York in 2013. Ash Wednesday marks the start of the penitential season of Lent, a time Pope Francis said he chose the passage to consciences thus need to be converted to of reflection, prayer, fasting and charity before Easter. This year Ash Wednesday is on March 5. explore what St. Paul’s references to poverty justice, equality, simplicity and sharing,” and charity mean for Christians today. he said. There are many forms of poverty, he said, While Lent is a time for “self-denial,” like the material destitution that disfigures don’t forget that real sacrifice and poverty the face of humanity and the moral have a “dimension of penance” and pain, Be an answer destitution of being a slave to vice and sin.