Inside ‘Casting Our Nets’ See our annual Religious Vocations Supplement, pages 13-22. Serving the ChurchCriterion in Central and Souther n Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com January 11, 2008 Vol. XLVIII, No. 13 75¢ Vatican to promote greater caution in opening sainthood causes VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The Vatican is preparing to issue a set of instructions to promote “greater caution and more accuracy” in the opening of new sainthood causes by local dioceses, a top Vatican official said. Cardinal Jose Editor’s note: The Criterion he notes. “I was impressed and I Saraiva Martins, invited readers to share their considered the fact that they must have head of the stories of how the faith of a such a strong faith to be able to deal Congregation for friend, family member or with their very personal tragedy while Saints’ Causes, said stranger during a difficult also taking care of us—allowing us to Cardinal Jose Saraiva the instructions were time in their life had a grieve, cry and laugh with them. Martins needed to reflect dramatic impact on their own “There were hugs and words of the “new spirit faith. Here are three stories encouragement that everything would introduced by Pope Benedict XVI in that show that impact. Thank be all right. Having not been raised as a beatification procedures.” you to everyone who shared Catholic, I wondered just what their The new instructions should not affect their stories. faith was all about and how they could the Cause of Canonization of the Servant be so giving when they were suffering of God Simon Bruté since it was opened By John Shaughnessy such a great loss of their own.” by the archdiocese in 2005 with the Looking back, Jon McKamey During the next few years, approval of the Holy See. marvels at how the grace of McCamey sometimes thought about the Cardinal Saraiva Martins said the new two grieving strangers changed his life. Catholic faith, but he never investigated document will be addressed to all resident McCamey’s story starts when he the Church until he moved to bishops, instructing them on procedures was a senior in college and tragedy struck the Cincinnati in 1988. regarding the family of a classmate named Jeannine. Her While driving to the grocery store Artist creates portrait opening and younger sister, Heather, a college freshman, one Saturday, he passed a Catholic of Bishop Bruté, advancement of The example of two grieving was killed in an accident involving a train and church that had a sign that read, page 7. sainthood strangers led Jon McKamey on a a car. McCamey was part of a group of “Course on Catholic faith begins causes. It will journey of faith that helped him to Jeannine’s friends who traveled from Sept. 20.” The sign also included a underline how meet his wife, Joan—a union of Terre Haute to Elkhart, Ind., for Heather’s phone number for information. the “theology of the local Church” is family that also includes their funeral Mass and burial. McCamey called the number and soon manifested in such causes, he said. daughter, Claire. “The day of the funeral, my friend’s parents began the Rite of Christian Initiation of The cardinal said the beatification of a Submitted photo invited all of us to come to their beautiful home Adults (RCIA) program. local member represents an intense moment to get ready for the day,” McKamey recalls. During that same fall, he also met a of faith and joy for Church communities. “We had food, a shower and a place to change young woman, Joan Eckstein. When he “But precisely because of this new value clothes. Sadly, it was also my friend’s parents’ was baptized on Easter in 1989, she and this additional fervor implied by such 25th wedding anniversary. All of the children sent him a card congratulating him. events, it is necessary to proceed with even had done a surprise portrait for their parents Their relationship began to develop greater caution and more accuracy,” he said. before Heather was killed. They presented their after they sat together one Sunday at The congregation intends to bring the parents with the portrait on the day they were Mass. new instructions to the attention of the burying their daughter and celebrating their “She invited me to come with her to hundreds of postulators who guide sainthood anniversary.” a young adult faith-sharing group she causes, possibly through a day of study, he Jeannine’s parents were touched by the gift, was involved with,” McCamey says. said. and McCamey was touched by the love they “We then started seeing more of each Asked if the new instructions would showed toward Jeannine’s friends. other, began to date, and by October of help put an end to stories about the “When they were so very sad and suffering, that year had decided to get married. Church’s “saint factories,” Cardinal Saraiva they reached out to a bunch of strangers, took We were married on Nov. 3, 1990, at Martins said the term does not even merit a us into their home and offered us all they had,” See FAITH, page 2 response. The Church does not make saints; it merely follows procedures so that they are recognized, he said. † Pope warns diplomats that conflicts threaten global stability VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Addressing The pope also condemned “continually of global troubles. It cited positive diplomats from around the world, perpetrated attacks” against human life in economic and social developments in Pope Benedict XVI warned that numerous areas ranging from the death penalty to Latin America, hailed the dismantling of armed conflicts and biotechnology, and criticized efforts to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, social disorders have left weaken the traditional family and the and noted progress in intercultural dialogue global stability in a institution of marriage. and, more particularly, in the Church’s own fragile situation. The world’s problems illustrate that real dialogue with Muslims. In Iraq, the pope said solutions must be “solidly anchored in However, the pope said a rapid on Jan. 7, the latest natural law, given by the Creator,” the pope overview of the world shows that “the attack on Christian said. security and stability of the world are still Churches reflects a “This is another reason why God can fragile.” continuing climate of never be excluded from the horizon of man That is clearly the case in Iraq, he said, terrorism and violence in or of history. God’s name is a name of where reconciliation is urgently needed. Pope Benedict XVI the country and illus- justice; it represents an urgent appeal for “At present, terrorist attacks, threats trates the need for peace,” he said. and violence continue, especially against constitutional reform to safeguard the rights The pope delivered the annual talk, the Christian community, and the news of minorities. sometimes called his “state of the world” which arrived yesterday confirms our On nuclear weapons, he urged the inter- address, to representatives of the 176 states concern,” he said. national community to undertake a joint that have diplomatic relations with the Church officials said on Jan. 6 that effort to prevent terrorists from gaining Vatican. bombs had damaged four churches and access to weapons of mass destruction. The papal speech was not merely a litany See DIPLOMATS, page 2 Page 2 The Criterion Friday, January 11, 2008 United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which DIPLOMATS enshrined human dignity. continued from page 1 CNS photo/Reuters “In every continent, the Catholic three convents in Baghdad and Mosul in Church strives to ensure that human rights what appeared to be coordinated attacks. are not only proclaimed but put into Several people were reported injured. practice,” he said. In Iraq, the pope said, “it is clear that “The Church willingly undertakes this certain difficult political issues remain service to the true dignity of human unresolved. In this context, an appropriate persons, created in the image of God. And constitutional reform will need to on the basis of these considerations, I safeguard the rights of minorities.” cannot but deplore once again the continual He said those affected by the Iraq War— attacks perpetrated on every continent including refugees and their host against human life,” he said. countries—need generous aid from the In bioethics, new discoveries or techno- international community. logical progress should not require people Turning to Iran, Pope Benedict to choose between science and morality— expressed his support for “continued “rather, they oblige us to a moral use of and uninterrupted pursuit of the path of science,” he said. diplomacy” in resolving the issue of Iran’s He said he rejoiced at the recent nuclear program. U.N. support for a moratorium on the On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, death penalty and added: “I earnestly hope he praised the results of the recent that this initiative will lead to public debate Annapolis, Md., peace conference, which on the sacred character of human life.” he said pointed toward the “abandonment Echoing a number of speeches to of partisan or unilateral solutions.” The Pope Benedict XVI meets with Vatican-accredited diplomats on Jan. 7 at the Vatican. In his annual address political and other groups over the last important thing now is to implement the to diplomats, the pope said that security and stability in the world was “fragile” and urged the international two years, the pope defended the traditional commitments that were made, he said. community to work to prevent nuclear weapons from getting into the hands of terrorists. family. In Lebanon, a country shaken by trials “I regret, once again, the disturbing and violence, the people need to be able to The pope began remarks on Africa by armaments, the pope urged the international threats to the integrity of the family freely decide their future, and political expressing his “deep anguish” at the community to make “a global commitment founded on the marriage of a man and a leaders should put aside selfish interests ongoing cycle of hunger and death in on security” that can deal in particular with woman.