'We Are All Part of the Same Family'

Inside Emmaus Walk Columnist Debra Tomaselli explains how to stay in touch with God and others this Christmas Criterion and beyond, page 8. Serving the Church in Central and Souther n Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com November 26, 2010 Vol. LI, No. 9 75¢ Pope creates new cardinals, ‘We are all part of the same family’ telling them that authority Submitted photo means service VATICAN CITY (CNS)— Pope Benedict XVI created 24 new cardinals, including two from the United States, and called them to be strong in spreading and defending the faith and promoting peace and tranquility within the Church. Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington and Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, prefect of the Vatican’s Cardinal supreme canon law Donald W. Wuerl court, joined other new cardinals from 13 countries on Nov. 20 in formally professing their Catholic faith and fidelity to the pope. After the oath, all but one of the new cardinals knelt before the pope to receive a David Siler poses for a photo with children that he met during a recent visit to Ethiopia. As the director of Catholic Charities and Family Ministries for red biretta, a the archdiocese, Siler made the trip to witness the work of Catholic Relief Services in Africa. three-cornered hat, Cardinal which the pope said, Raymond L. Burke “signifies that you Journey helps director see how Catholics in must be ready to act with strength, to the point of shedding blood, to increase the Christian America are helping people in Africa faith, for the peace and tranquility of the people of God and for the freedom and gro wth By John Shaughnessy people in Africa, but the trip through the people in need across the world. of the holy Roman Church.” highlands of Ethiopia also provided Siler “It was one of my most intense Cardinal Antonios Naguib, the Catholic The memorable moment with the with a special memory of the people there. experiences of being proud of being Coptic patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, women and the sunglasses was so “Driving up through the highlands, we Catholic,” he says. “I was proud to see the received a new patriarch’s hat with a thin red unexpected and fun that David Siler still took a break and got out of the car when all work of our American Catholic Church in trim added to the traditional black v eil. laughs when he shares the story. these people flooded toward us,” Siler remote areas helping to feed people, Pope Benedict concelebrated Mass on The scene took place as Siler, the recalls. “These four women in total African making greater access to water, educating Nov. 21 with the new cardinals, and gave executive director of Catholic Charities and garb came up and took our sunglasses of f of children and helping people to start small each of them a cardinal’s ring, telling them Family Ministries for the archdiocese, was our faces and tried them on. They laughed, businesses. Catholic Relief Services has it was a sign “of your nuptial pact with traveling through Ethiopia as part of a and we laughed. It was this moment of been in Africa so long that they have a very the Church.” recent tour by Catholic Relief Services— bonding that came from something as silly good reputation there. We’re living the Rather than precious gems, the gold rings the international humanitarian agency of the as trying on sunglasses.” Gospel there.” feature a crucifix, which, “for the same reason Catholic Church in the United States. For Siler, those moments of bonding Much of the trip focused on the relief your clothes allude to blood, is a symbol of The tour wanted to show Siler and became one of the two major themes of the organization’s efforts to make water life and love” as demonstrated by Christ’s 11 other diocesan representatives from 10-day journey through Tanzania and accessible to people in areas where ultimate sacrifice for the salvation of all, the across the United States some of the Ethiopia. The other theme was his pride in water—often described as “liquid gold” in pope said. Catholic Relief Services’ projects to help being part of a faith that reaches out to See AFRICA, page 2 See CARDINALS, page 12 In new book, Pope Benedict XVI candidly addr esses clerical sex abuse, condoms and possible r esignation ROME (CNS)—Pope Benedict XVI’s on the pope’s call for a global “examination of book-length interview is certain to spark conscience” in the face of economic disparity, global attention, and not only for his environmental disasters and moral slippage. comments suggesting that condom use might The pope repeatedly emphasized that the be acceptable in some circumstances. Church’s role in a largely broken world is not In the 219-page book, Light of the World: to impose a “burden” of moral rules but to The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the open the doors to God. Times, the German pontiff spoke candidly on Even before the book’s release, media the clerical sex abuse scandal, relations with attention centered on the pope’s remarks on Islam, papal resignation and the “threatening condoms in AIDS prevention. While repeating catastrophe” facing humanity. his view that condoms cannot be the only The wide-ranging interview was conducted answer to the AIDS epidemic, the pope by German writer Peter Seewald, who posed allowed that in some specific cases—for questions in six one-hour sessions last summer. example, that of male prostitutes—use of a The book was released on Nov. 23 at the condom could be a step toward taking moral Vatican, but ample excerpts were published responsibility for one’s actions. three days earlier by the Vatican newspaper. An entire chapter and parts of others were The book reveals a less formal side of the dedicated to the clerical sex abuse scandal. pope as he responds simply and directly on The pope called it “a great crisis” that left him topics as diverse as the joy of sex and the ban “stunned by how wretched the Church is, by on burqas. Much of the conversation focuses See POPE, page 3 Page 2 The Criterion Friday, November 26, 2010 AFRICA continued from page 1 Siler David Photos by Africa—is scarce. Siler recalls visiting remote villages where the women explained how greater access to water had changed their lives. Where they once traveled several hours every day to gather and haul w ater for cooking, washing and drinking, the women now use that time to focus more Above, four Ethiopian women pose for a photo on the education of their children and their after donning the sunglasses of four American care for their family’s crops and animals. Catholics who were part of a mission trip arranged Those visits touched Siler’s heart, too. by Catholic Relief Services. He shares the story of a couple in Ethiopia who died of AIDS, and how neighbors Left, interacting with the children of Ethiopia was immediately welcomed the dying couple’s one of the highlights of a recent trip to Africa for children into their home and into David Siler, executive director of Catholic Charities their family. and Family Ministries for the archdiocese. A father of five, Siler also recalls a visit to a village in Tanzania where he met a looking right in my soul, and I w as doing the visited two of the mission clinics that song now. young mother, who was about 13, holding same thing. It was this sense of family. All Blessed Teresa established in Ethiopia’s “Who would have thought that Polish a baby. our differences in those moments of eye capital city, Addis Ababa. woman’s skill would be one that is “Even when you can’t speak the contact melted away. We all have the same “One [clinic] serves 800 people, and the needed in Ethiopia? It made me realize language, there are a lot of things you can basic desires. We want to be free. We care other serves 1,400 people,” Siler says. “Both we all have something to give. It shows do with sign language and gestures to deeply about our families. We want our kids places are for the truly neglected and the connections we can make if we’re connect with people,” he says. “I just to be fed and educated. We all want to feel forgotten members of the community. We creative.” started making baby noises as we do. I important, and we all want to have met people with leprosy, a lot with AIDS, the The young woman’s example fits with reached out my hands in a gesture to hold a purpose.” mentally ill, the physically handicapped, Siler’s belief that people must use their the baby. She let me, and I held the little In inviting Siler to see its work in Africa, orphans, the dying. abilities to help others in need wherever girl. I was struck by the trust. She just Catholic Relief Services hoped he would “The Missionaries of Charity sisters live God has placed them in the w orld. trusted me. We just had that moment of share his impressions of his trip when he right there with the people, serving them. “Whether you help people in Africa or connection. I’m a parent. She’s a parent. returned to the United States—to let people And there were tons of volunteers from all at home, it’s really the same. Need is We had that in common.” know the value of the organization’s work.

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