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Top Vatican Foreign Affairs Official Hails Transfer of Power in Iraq

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Top Vatican Foreign Affairs Official Hails Transfer of Power in Iraq Inside Archbishop Buechlein . 5 Editorial . 4 Question Corner . 19 Sunday and Daily Readings . 19 The Retirement Supplement . 11 Serving the CChurchCriterion in Centralr andi Southert n Indianae Since 1960rion www.archindy.org July 2, 2004 Vol. XXXXIII, No. 38 75¢ Panelists find much to discuss in Communion-politics contr oversy WASHINGTON (CNS)—Denying The other panelist, George Weigel, decision affirming slavery. The panel discussion took place just Communion to Catholic politicians director of the Catholic studies program at The discussion was sponsored by the hours before the U.S. Conference of because of their views on abortion is a the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. Catholic Bishops released the interim bad idea both pastorally and politically, Washington, said all Catholics—whether Luis E. Lugo, director of the forum, said report of the Task Force on Catholic but it would not violate the constitutional involved in public office or not—have a the Communion controversy was central Bishops and Catholic Politicians, made up separation of Church and state, a priest- “positive moral obligation to work against to “the Church’s own understanding of its of presentations by three task force mem- editor said on June 23. laws that permit free access to abortion or public witness.” bers to the bishops during their Jesuit Father Thomas J. Reese, editor- the euthanizing of the elderly.” But with Catholics making up a quarter June 14-19 meeting in the Denver suburb in-chief of America magazine, made that He called Roe vs. Wade and Casey vs. of the American voting population and the of Englewood, Colo. assessment during a panel discussion in Planned Parenthood—the 1973 and 1992 so-called “Catholic swing vote” coming Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington on “The Body Politic and the U.S. Supreme Court decisions on abor- into play in the last few elections, it is Washington told the bishops that the task Body of Christ: Candidates, Communion tion—“the Dred Scott cases of our time,” “not merely an internal debate” in the force, which he chairs, believes “the and the Catholic Church.” a reference to the 1857 Supreme Court Church, Lugo said. See COMMUNION, page 2 Bob Leonard retires Top Vatican foreign affairs official after 31 years of guiding adult faith hails transfer of power in Iraq formation in New VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The Albany Deanery Vatican’s top foreign affairs official hailed the transfer of power to an Iraqi By Sean Gallagher provisional government, saying Iraq CNS photo from Reuters “can only be governed and understood At the end of June, a significant change by its own people.” happened at the Aquinas Center, the cate- Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, an chetical resource center for the New assistant secretary of state, said the suc- Albany Deanery. cess of the Iraqi government will depend Bob Leonard, a man who had been inte- largely on its ability to ensure political gral to its service to freedom, restore basic services and the faithful of the crack down on “cowardly acts” of ter- deanery at the rorism. Aquinas Center The stakes in Iraq are high, he said, since 1973, retired. because the outcome “could determine Leonard’s min- the development of democracy in the istry as director of whole region.” the center went far Archbishop Lajolo made the com- beyond maintaining ments in an interview with Catholic the print and audio- News Service on June 28. The same day, visual materials for the United States handed over sover- Bob Leonard the parishes of the eignty to an interim Iraqi government deanery. headed by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, As his friends and colleagues have formally ending a 14-month occupation pointed out, Leonard served as a powerful two days ahead of schedule. living example of being committed to life- “The formal transfer of power is of Iraq’s senior judge Midhat Mahmoud and Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi accept legal documents on long learning. In fact, his work at the great importance,” Archbishop Lajolo June 28 from U.S. Administrator L. Paul Bremer in Baghdad. The U.S. Coalition Provisional Authority Aquinas Center in Clarksville was a natural said. transferred sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government two days earlier than planned. Archbishop outgrowth of his own desire to learn more “The Iraqis are a people who are Giovanni Lajolo, assistant secretary of state at the Vatican, said the success of the Iraqi government and more about the Catholic faith. proud of their autonomy; they have will depend on its ability to ensure political freedom, restore basic services and crack down on Leonard recalled attending a meeting for technical expertise, professionals and “cowardly acts” of terrorism. those interested in adult religious education managers of high caliber. What’s more, in 1967 at Our Lady of Providence Jr./Sr. a country so rich in history and complex part of the interim government will allow transition, Archbishop Lajolo said. The High School in Clarksville. in its composition only can be governed that large part of the international commu- interim government starts with some Leonard, a long-time member of Sacred and understood by its own people,” he nity, which did not approve the coalition’s handicaps, including the lack of grass- Heart Parish in Jeffersonville, was invited said. military involvement in Iraq, to respond roots support, he said. by a fellow parishioner to join a group of The archbishop said the handover positively to requests for assistance which “The government will need to ensure people who were interested in learning should help convince many countries— will be made by the Iraqi government,” he that the political parties in the country about the faith to discuss their ideas and including those that opposed the war— said. are given the possibility—with adequate See LEONARD, page 10 to provide aid for Iraqi reconstruction. But a “simple ceremony” will not be freedom—of participating in the “A full recovery of sovereignty on the enough to ensure the success of the See IRAQ, page 8 Parish life coordinators will minister to thr ee parishes By Mary Ann Wyand Former teacher and principal Robert the Terre Haute Deanery, who is the W. Decker, a member of St. John Parish sacramental minister, and Father William Three new parish life coordinators in Osgood, has been hired as parish life Stumpf, vicar for clergy and parish life will minister to Catholics at one parish coordinator of St. Andrew the Apostle coordinators for the archdiocese, who is in Terre Haute and two parishes in Parish in the Indianapolis North Deanery, the priest moderator. Indianapolis. succeeding Providence Sister Marilyn Thirty years ago, Sister Mary Beth Providence Sister Mary Beth Klingel, a Herber, who began a new part-time min- taught fourth- through eighth-grade stu- pastoral associate at St. Margaret Mary istry in July. dents at the former St. Margaret Mary Parish in Terre Haute, has been appointed Their appointments were announced by School. Two years later, she joined the parish life coordinator of that southern Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein in June parish staff as a pastoral associate and has Vigo County faith community. and are effective on July 7. been responsible for religious education Attorney John Steven Cole of Sister Mary Beth is celebrating her classes, Communion visits and other min- Elmhurst, Ill., who was ordained a deacon 40th anniversary as a Sister of Providence istries. for the Diocese of Joliet, Ill., has been this year and has served in various min- Sister Mary Beth said she is looking named parish life coordinator of Good istries at St. Margaret Mary Parish for forward to serving in this multifaceted Shepherd Parish in the Indianapolis South three decades. ministry, which she said provides a stabi- Deanery, succeeding Thomas Meier, who As parish life coordinator, she will lizing factor because it enables a parish retired on June 30. work with Father Joseph Kern, dean of See PARISH, page 7 Page 2 The Criterion Friday, July 2, 2004 presidential candidates, speak out on political matters, he added. COMMUNION Father Reese said it is Church law, not continued from page 1 civil law, that forbids Catholic bishops CNS photo illustration battles for human life and dignity and for and priests from endorsing candidates or the weak and vulnerable should be fought running for political office. not at the Communion rail, but in the Weigel said he found it remarkable public square.” that, 31 years after Roe vs. Wade was In the panel discussion, Father Reese decided, “so many matters remain said that although a “handful of bishops” unclear.” have announced that they would deny “Many arguments have been made Communion to Catholic politicians who [during the current debate] that should support keeping abortion legal “most have been removed from the board long bishops do not support this position.” ago,” he added. In addition to being pastorally unwise, For example, Weigel said, those who such a policy would present “practical argue that they are personally opposed to problems, since churches do not have sin abortion as a moral matter but support it in detectors,” he added. the political arena are “moral schizophren- Politically, the denial of Communion ics” who “should be held in suspicion.” “looks like an attack on the Democrats” He also disputed the claims of those and “helps to brand abortion as a Catholic who try to equate Church positions on issue rather than what it is, a human abortion and euthanasia with its stands on rights issue,” Father Reese said. other issues, including capital punish- In the controversy over denying Communion to politicians who support abortion on demand, a But he dismissed arguments that such ment, the war in Iraq and welfare reform.
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