January 10, 2003 Vol

Inside Archbishop Buechlein . 4, 5 Editorial . 4 Question Corner . 19 Sunday & Daily Readings. 19 The Religious Vocations Supplement . 9 Serving the CChurchCriterion in Centralr andi Southert n Indianae Since 1960rion www.archindy.org January 10, 2003 Vol. XXXXII, No. 13 $1.00 As U.S. counts down to war, Vatican turns up volume on cautions VATICAN CITY (CNS)—As the 12 years ago that President George sessing. That is much shakier grounds for United States counts down to a possible H.W. Bush was building up for a threat- launching a full-scale war, and it explains attack on Iraq this winter, Pope John ened war against Iraq? And wasn’t the why Vatican officials have said armed Paul II and his top aides have turned up pope one of his most vocal skeptics, intervention should not even be consid- CNS photo from Reuters the volume on a litany of cautions and warning that the war violated interna- ered until ongoing U.N. weapons inspec- caveats. tional law and would be “an adventure tions are completed. The pope used his globally broadcast with no return”? Another huge difference between 1991 Christmas blessing to proclaim that a new For many at the Vatican, there was a and 2003 is the level of international sup- war in the Middle East is entirely avoid- sense of deja vu this time around, but port for a U.S.-led attack on Iraq. By early able and that this is not the way to fight there were enough new twists to make the 1991, the first President Bush had amassed terrorism. current situation uniquely troubling in a multinational force backed by a coalition Throughout December, a string of their eyes. of 37 countries. Even some Arab states high-level Vatican experts had voiced For one thing, the 1991 Gulf War was provided bases for military operations. increasingly sharp criticism of the U.S. provoked by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait Today, only Great Britain and a few threat to unilaterally depose Iraqi and its refusal to withdraw—an act con- allies have staunchly supported the United President Saddam Hussein, saying such a demned by almost every state, including States and President George W. Bush in war would be unjustified, counterproduc- the Vatican. the drive to oust Hussein by force if nec- U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Jose Salazar gets a good- tive, devastating to civilians and in viola- The current plan for armed interven- essary. Several European allies have bye kiss from his 7-year-old daughter, Brittany, tion of U.N. rules. tion rests on the supposed threat to world voiced opposition, and Arab states are not before departing on the USS Tarawa with 4,000 To many, it seemed like the world was peace posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass cooperating. other Marines and Navy personnel from the San lost in a time warp. Wasn’t it exactly destruction—weapons Iraq denies pos- See WAR, page 2 Diego Naval Station on Jan. 6. Praying and Listening Pope recognizes Vocations miracle needed for beatification supplement Ann Wyand Photo by Mary of Mother Teresa in this issue VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Pope John Paul II and top Vatican officials formally We live in a noisy world that blocks recognized the miracle needed for the out God’s “still, small voice” calling out beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. to us. Much of that noise comes from Sister Nirmala Joshi, Mother Teresa’s individuals, movements and attitudes successor as superior of the Missionaries found in our postmodern society. of Charity, and Father Brian During the last decade as archbishop, Kolodiejchuk, postulator of her cause, I have been urging people, especially said the beatification ceremony would members of our Young Church, to pray take place at the Vatican on Oct. 19, and to listen. God really does love us Mission Sunday, “the closest Sunday to and wants to communicate with us. the 25th anniversary of the Holy Father’s But we have to be willing to spend time pontificate and the end of the Year of the listening. Rosary.” Beginning on page 9 of this week’s The miracle attributed to the interces- issue of The Criterion, readers will find Above, Benedictine Sister sion of the Macedonia-born founder of the a special supplement devoted to priestly Kathleen Yeadon places the Wise Missionaries of Charity was recognized and religious vocations—that special Men in the Nativity scene on the formally on Dec. 20 during a ceremony Submitted photo call from God to enter into an ever- Feast of Epiphany at Our Lady of attended by Pope John Paul and members deepening relationship with him in a Grace Monastery in Beech Grove. of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes. life of service to his people. Sister Kathleen teaches sopho- Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, address- Please take some time to read this more religion classes at Bishop ing the pope at the beginning of the meet- supplement, and please take time to ask Chatard High School in ing, said, “In Calcutta, she discovered the the Lord to show you his will for your Indianapolis. face of the suffering Christ in the faces of life—and then be sure to listen. the most abandoned poor. “With her example, she gave rise to a Sincerely yours in Christ, Left, Benedictine Brother Jesse vast movement of charitable and social Gunter carves a tombstone last commitment on behalf of the most mar- fall for a monk’s grave at Saint ginalized,” the cardinal said. Meinrad. Brother Jesse also min- See BEATIFY, page 2 Most Rev. Daniel M. Buechlein, O.S.B. isters to the elderly monks in the Archbishop of Indianapolis monastery infirmary. CNS photo from Reuters Twelve new bishops from around the world lie in front of the altar as Pope John Paul II pre- sides at their ordination ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Jan. 6. He told the bishops the mission entrusted to them is “the proclamation of the saving love of God.” Page 2 The Criterion Friday, January 10, 2003 used in 1993, when Serb ethnic cleansing prompted a worldwide outcry. WAR This is not a peace-at-any-price pope. continued from page 1 In particular, he has accepted the right of CNS photo from Reuters countries to defend themselves from What especially concerns the Vatican international terrorism, which the Vatican is that the United States has promised it recognizes as a new type of threat. For will take on Hussein alone if necessary, that reason, when the United States for the good of the world. In the Vatican’s launched military operations against sus- eyes, that kind of reasoning delegitimizes pected terrorist strongholds in the United Nations and opens the way to Afghanistan in late 2001, the Vatican the politics of “the jungle,” as the gave qualified support. Vatican’s foreign minister, Archbishop “Sometimes it is more prudent to act Jean-Louis Tauran, put it in a recent inter- rather than to be passive. In this sense, the view. pope is not a pacifist, because one must Supporters of an attack on Iraq would remember that in the name of peace even argue that international terrorism has some horrible injustices can be carried changed the “just-war” equation, and that out,” Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro- a pre-emptive strike against those amass- Valls said at that time. ing chemical or biological weapons can But in the Vatican’s view, the fight be considered a legitimate extension of against international terrorism does not national self-defense. give an automatic green light to military But so far, at least, the Vatican isn’t action. Iraq is not Afghanistan, and the buying those arguments. circumstances must be carefully weighed, “A preventive war is a war of aggres- Vatican officials say; in the case of Iraq, Pope John Paul II bows his head in prayer during Mass on Jan. 1 marking World Peace Day and the sion, there’s no doubt. It is not included in the balance comes down strongly against solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. During the ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope offered a new the definition of a just war,” said Arch- war. plea for peace in the Middle East and for world leaders to find nonviolent solutions to tense situations. bishop Renato Martino, president of the The Vatican remains convinced that Vatican’s justice and peace council. international terrorism must be neutralized Pax Christi member Jan Moreover, the U.N. charter does not primarily on different grounds: through Bezila holds a pair of chil- foresee a preventive war, said Archbishop improved security measures, closer con- dren’s shoes while protest- Tauran. trol of the financial network that supports ing possible U.S. military Some argue that the Vatican cannot be terrorism, and resolution of the social and action in Iraq on Dec. 27 at expected to say otherwise, given its moral political injustices that feed terrorism. the pastoral center of the aversion to war and violence. Yet it would In the end, a pre-emptive strike against Diocese of Rochester, N.Y. be inaccurate to paint the Vatican’s stance Iraq fails too many of the Vatican’s crite- In the Vatican’s view, the fight against international as pacifist. ria to be justified. It may fit the spirit of Catholic Courier CNS photo by Karin von Voigtlander, Indeed, since 1991 there’s been an evo- “war on terrorism,” but that’s a phrase terrorism does not give an lution in Vatican thinking on the “duty to Vatican officials have carefully avoided automatic green light to mil- disarm the aggressor”—a phrase the pope using.

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