MARCH 30, 2012 VOLUME 48, NUMBER 6 INSIDE: Centerfold: Crusaders, Irish bid for basketball gold Page 3: Harrisburg Catholic Elementary School established Page 6: Bishop Lori named to Baltimore Page 11: Family celebrates CYO Rosary for Religious Freedom As part of the Catholic Church’s continuous efforts against the viola- tions of religious freedom in the De- partment of Health and Human Ser- vices’ health care reform mandate, Bishop Joseph P. McFadden led a live recitation of the Rosary March 23 from the studios of Holy Family Radio WHYF AM 720 in Shireman- stown. Several dozen people filled the sta- tion’s main lobby to join the bishop in prayer for the intention of preserving and defending religious liberty. The HHS mandate would force Catholic employers to pay for abortion-caus- ing drugs, sterilization and contracep- tion. The Catholic Church continues to object against this regulation. The United States Bishops and the Bishops of Pennsylvania have issued statements regarding continuous ef- forts to defend religious liberty, and have called upon all people of faith to join in prayer and penance for reli- gious liberty. The state’s bishops have also called for March 30 to be a day of prayer, fasting and abstinence. See page 2 of this edition for the U.S. Bishop’s statement, and visit www.hbgdiocese.org/conscience for other materials on this topic, includ- ing the Pennsylvania Bishops’ state- ment that appeared in the March 16 issue of The Catholic Witness. EMILY M. ALBERT, THE CATHOLIC WITNESS See page 7 for a feature story on From the studios of Holy Family Radio WHYF AM 720 in Shiremanstown, Bishop Joseph P. McFadden leads the recitation Holy Family Radio. of the Rosary in a live radio broadcast as part of the Church’s continued efforts to pray for religious liberty. In Mexico, Pope Benedict Says Social Change Will Come with Revival of Faith By Francis X. Rocca will not suffice to save us,” the Catholic News Service pope said in his homily during an outdoor Mass at Guanajuato Bi- Visiting Latin America for the centennial Park March 25. “We second time in his pontificate, must have recourse to the one Pope Benedict XVI offered a who alone can give life in its full- message of hope for social prog- ness, because he is the essence of ress rooted in a revival of Catho- life and its author.” lic faith. Echoing his earlier critiques of The overriding message of the liberation theology, a Marxist- pope’s public statements during influenced movement that found his three days in Mexico, March prominent supporters among Lat- 23-26, was that this troubled in American Catholics during the country, and the region in gen- 1970s and ’80s, Pope Benedict eral, cannot solve their problems told reporters accompanying him – which include poverty, inequal- on the plane from Rome that the ity, corruption and violence – by “Church is not a political power, following the prescriptions of it is not a party ... it is a moral secular ideologies. reality, a moral power.” Instead, the pope said, peace Yet the pope made it clear that and justice in this world require he was not encouraging believers a divinely inspired change in the to withdraw into a private kind of human heart. piety uninvolved with worldly af- “When addressing the deeper fairs. dimension of personal and com- CNS/L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO “The first job of the Church is munity life, human strategies Pope Benedict XVI arrives to celebrate Mass at Bicentennial Park in Silao, Mexico, March 25. More CHANGE, page 15 2 - THE CATHOLIC WITNESS, MARCH 30, 2012 Local Church News United for Religious Freedom A Statement of the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops On March 14, the U.S. Bishops issued a statement Second, we wish to clarify what this debate is—and nal Church governance, where government has no le- regarding continuous efforts against the violations of is not—about. This is not about access to contracep- gal competence or authority—disturbing though that religious freedom in the HHS health care reform man- tion, which is ubiquitous and inexpensive, even when may be. This error in theory has grave consequences date forcing all employers to pay for abortion-causing it is not provided by the Church’s hand and with the in principle and practice. Those deemed by HHS not drugs, sterilization and contraception. Bishop Joseph Church’s funds. This is not about the religious free- to be “religious employers” will be forced by govern- P. McFadden has strongly endorsed the statement, re- dom of Catholics only, but also of those who recog- ment to violate their own teachings within their very marking that it “reaffirms our commitment to address nize that their cherished beliefs may be next on the own institutions. This is not only an injustice in itself, the HHS mandate’s attack on the most fundamental block. This is not about the Bishops’ somehow “ban- but it also undermines the effective proclamation of civil right guaranteed by our Constitution.” ning contraception,” when the U.S. Supreme Court those teachings to the faithful and to the world. For The following is the text of the Statement of the Ad- took that issue off the table two generations ago. In- decades, the Bishops have led the fight against such ministrative Committee of the United States Confer- deed, this is not about the Church wanting to force government incursions on conscience, particularly in ence of Catholic Bishops. The statement is also avail- anybody to do anything; it is instead about the fed- the area of health care. Far from making us waver able online at www.hbgdiocese.org/conscience. eral government forcing the Church—consisting of in this longstanding commitment, the unprecedented its faithful and all but a few of its institutions—to act magnitude of this latest threat has only strengthened The Administrative Committee of the United States against Church teachings. This is not a matter of op- our resolve to maintain that consistent view. Conference of Catholic Bishops, gathered for its position to universal health care, which has been a March 2012 meeting, is strongly unified and intense- concern of the Bishops’ Conference since 1919, vir- A violation of personal civil rights. The HHS ly focused in its opposition to the various threats to tually at its founding. This is not a fight we want or mandate creates still a third class, those with no con- religious freedom in our day. In our role as Bishops, asked for, but one forced upon us by government on science protection at all: individuals who, in their we approach this question prayerfully and as pas- its own timing. Finally, this is not a Republican or daily lives, strive constantly to act in accordance with tors—concerned not only with the protection of the Democratic, a conservative or liberal issue; it is an their faith and moral values. They, too, face a govern- Church’s own institutions, but with the care of the American issue. ment mandate to aid in providing “services” contrary souls of the individual faithful, and with the common So what is it about? to those values—whether in their sponsoring of, and good. An unwarranted government definition of re- payment for, insurance as employers; their payment To address the broader range of religious liberty is- ligion. The mandate includes an extremely narrow of insurance premiums as employees; or as insurers sues, we look forward to the upcoming publication definition of what HHS deems a “religious employer” themselves—without even the semblance of an ex- of “A Statement on Religious Liberty,” a document deserving exemption—employers who, among other emption. This, too, is unprecedented in federal law, of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. This things, must hire and serve primarily those of their which has long been generous in protecting the rights document reflects on the history of religious liberty in own faith. We are deeply concerned about this new of individuals not to act against their religious beliefs our great Nation; surveys the current range of threats definition of who we are as people of faith and what or moral convictions. We have consistently supported to this foundational principle; and states clearly the constitutes our ministry. The introduction of this un- these rights, particularly in the area of protecting the resolve of the Bishops to act strongly, in concert with precedented defining of faith communities and their dignity of all human life, and we continue to do so. our fellow citizens, in its defense. ministries has precipitated this struggle for religious Third, we want to indicate our next steps. We will One particular religious freedom issue demands freedom. Government has no place defining religion continue our vigorous efforts at education and pub- our immediate attention: the now-finalized rule of and religious ministry. HHS thus creates and enforces lic advocacy on the principles of religious liberty and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Servic- a new distinction—alien both to our Catholic tradition their application in this case (and others). We will es that would force virtually all private health plans and to federal law—between our houses of worship continue to accept any invitation to dialogue with nationwide to provide coverage of sterilization and and our great ministries of service to our neighbors, the Executive Branch to protect the religious free- contraception—including abortifacient drugs—sub- namely, the poor, the homeless, the sick, the students dom that is rightly ours. We will continue to pursue ject to an exemption for “religious employers” that is in our schools and universities, and others in need, of legislation to restore the same level of religious free- arbitrarily narrow, and to an unspecified and dubious any faith community or none.