It’s All Good Son’s actions help mom realize what’s important in life, writes columnist Patti Lamb, page 12. Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com March 1, 2019 Vol. LIX, No. 20 75¢ This year’s Lent could be just what struggling ‘We dare not fail’ Church needs WASHINGTON (CNS)—When Lent begins on March 6, Catholics in the United States will likely be more than ready for it. This set-aside time for prayer and reflection—after all the Church has been through in recent months—could provide both a healing balm and a needed boost forward, some say. Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, is typically a big Catholic draw, filling churches with nearly Easter- or Christmas-size Mass crowds even though it is not a holy day of obligation. Conventual Franciscan Father Jude DeAngelo, director of campus ministry at The Catholic University of America in Washington, hopes this year is no exception. “We in the American Catholic Church have been through a year of tremendous suffering and tremendous upheaval and frustration,” he told Catholic News Service (CNS), referring to the past months of allegations of sexual misconduct and cover-up by Church leaders. See list of penance services, page 10, The priest said pope’s Lenten some Catholics message, page 16. stopped going to Church, “scandalized by the actions of a few,” but that he hopes and prays they come Pope Francis and Church leaders from around the world attend a penitential liturgy during a meeting on the protection of minors in the Church at the Vatican on Feb. 23. The summit brought together the pope and 190 Church leaders—presidents of bishops’ conferences, the heads of the Eastern back on Ash Wednesday, a day he described Catholic Churches, superiors of men’s and women’s religious orders and Roman Curia officials. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) as a strong “reminder that God is never finished with us.” “Ash Wednesday is that moment, I believe, especially this year, when we Summit stresses need to protect children first can say: ‘This is my Church. It’s got its sins—it always has had its sins and sinners—but Christ calls me to convert amid scandal of Church’s sexual abuse crisis my life to his image and likeness and VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The clerical The pope’s remarks came an hour after assisting victims of clerical sexual abuse; that call is not for individuals only, it’s sexual abuse crisis has caused “serious he concluded the Vatican’s Feb. 21-24 working to end the abuse and exploitation for the entire community.’ ” scandal” in the Catholic Church and in summit on child protection and the of children and young people online; and By its very nature, Lent has an society “because of the dramatic suffering clerical abuse scandal. working with civil authorities to end sex overall aspect of penitence to it, but that of the victims, as well as the unjustifiable In his talk concluding the summit, tourism. shouldn’t override the whole season, lack of attention to them” and attempts by Pope Francis said the Catholic Church The summit brought together said Paulist Father Larry Rice, director Church leaders to cover up the crimes of would focus on eight priorities: the Pope Francis and 190 Church leaders— of the University Catholic Center at the the guilty, Pope Francis said. protection of children; “impeccable presidents of bishops’ conferences, the University of Texas at Austin. Speaking to the public, including seriousness” in dealing with clerical heads of the Eastern Catholic Churches, His recommendation for this year’s Lent dozens of abuse survivors, after his midday sexual abuse; genuine purification superiors of men’s and women’s religious is “to do what the Church has always asked recitation of the Angelus on Feb. 24, the and acknowledgment of past failures; orders and Roman Curia officials—for us to do: prayer, fasting and almsgiving,” pope promised measures to ensure children improved training for priests and religious; four days of listening to speeches, and that concentrating on those things will would be safe in the Church and that the strengthening and continually reviewing the survivors’ testimonies, discussions in See LENT, page 10 crime of abuse would stop. guidelines of national bishops’ conferences; See SUMMIT, page 8 Measures to help protect minors are imminent, according to Vatican summit moderator VATICAN CITY (CNS)—While the four-day Vatican summit on the protection of minors has ended, the work to ensure that laws and concrete actions are in place is just beginning, said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi. During a press briefing on Feb. 24, Father Lombardi, who served as moderator of the Feb. 21-24 summit, said Pope Francis will soon publish a new set of laws and guidelines concerning child protection for Vatican City State. The measures, he said, will be issued “motu proprio,” on the pope’s own accord, and will be “presented and published in the near future.” Another initiative that will be available in “a few weeks or a month or two” is a handbook, or vademecum, for bishops, prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Father Lombardi told journalists that the handbook will list a set of guidelines, and “will help bishops around the world Sex abuse survivors Denise Buchanan and Alessandro Battaglia are clearly understand their duties and tasks” when handling cases pictured in front of St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Feb. 24, on the final of abuse. He said the pope also wants to amend the current law day of the Vatican’s four-day meeting on the protection of minors in the See MINORS, page 9 Church. (CNS photo/Yara Nardi, Reuters) Page 2 The Criterion Friday, March 1, 2019 Pro-life groups, lawmakers praise Public Schedule of final ‘Protect Life Rule’ for Title X Archbishop Charles C. Thompson __________ WASHINGTON (CNS)—The Trump administration is calling the “Protect administration on Feb. 22 finalized its Life Rule” is based on the most accurate March 2 – 10, 2019 “Protect Life Rule” preventing funds interpretation of the Family Planning appropriated under the Title X Family Services and Population Research Act March 2 – 4 p.m. March 6 – noon Planning Program from being used in of 1970, which Mass at Putnamville Correctional Ash Wednesday Mass at SS. Peter and services that include abortion as a method enacted Title X. Facility, Putnam County Paul Cathedral of family planning or that make abortion Section 1008 of March 3 – 2 p.m. March 6 – 3 p.m. referrals. this act states that Rite of Election at SS. Peter and Paul Ash Wednesday Mass at It bars Title X grant money from any “none of the funds Cathedral, Indianapolis Marian University, Indianapolis clinic that performs abortion, which will appropriated under especially impact Planned Parenthood, this title shall be March 3 – 6 p.m. March 7 – 10 a.m. the nation’s largest abortion provider. used in programs Rite of Election, SS. Peter and Paul Leadership Team Meeting at According to the where abortion is Cathedral Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara Catholic Center organization’s a method of family March 4 – noon website, Planned Catherine Glenn planning.” Foster Pastoral Planning Committee at March 7 – 1 p.m. Parenthood affiliates Dr. Leana Wen, Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara School Mass at St. Mark the receive roughly Planned Parenthood’s president, said in Catholic Center, Indianapolis Evangelist Church, Indianapolis $290 million in a statement that the organization would Title X funds and fight the rule “through every avenue.” March 4 – 5 p.m. March 8 – 3 p.m. serve about 41 In reacting to the announcement on the Catholic Legislator Dinner at USCCB Ad Hoc Committee Against percent of those who Protect Life Rule being finalized, Kristan Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Indianapolis Racism Listening Session at University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio benefit from Title X Hawkins, president of Students for Life of March 5 – 10:30 a.m. Rep. Chris Smith funding. America, said that more than 1,220 of the Priest Personnel Board at March 9 – 11 a.m. “The Title X organization’s groups around the country Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara Rite of Election at St. Augustine Program can now finally return to “had worked tirelessly” in support of the Catholic Center Church, Jeffersonville its originally intended purpose—the revision to Title X. provision of family planning services, “We are celebrating the newly finalized March 5 – 3 p.m. March 9 – 5 p.m. not abortions,” said Rep. Chris Smith, Title X rules that will redirect some Finance Council at Archbishop Edward Mass for the American Federation R-New Jersey, who is chair of the taxpayer resources away from abortion T. O’Meara Catholic Center Pueri Cantores at SS. Peter and Paul Congressional Pro Life Caucus. vendors like Planned Parenthood, making Cathedral March 5 – 7 p.m. “Title X funding was never intended to more than half-a-billion from us all,” she Confirmation for youths of March 10 – 2 p.m. facilitate Planned Parenthood’s hideous said. “This is a life-saving policy change, St. Christopher Parish, Indianapolis, Rite of Election at SS. Peter and Paul dismemberment, chemical poisoning or as abortion vendors have used these at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral Cathedral deliberate starvation and forced expulsion family planning resources to underwrite of a defenseless unborn baby,” he said their deadly enterprise.” (Schedule subject to change.) in a statement. He applauded the Trump She urged the defunding of every administration for affirming “human life program promoted by a “radicalized and dignity with this pro-child rule.” abortion industry,” which shows “blatant Measure to protect babies who survive The Office of Population Affairs, support for virtual infanticide in late-term which is part of the U.S.