December 20, 2002 Vol

Inside Archbishop Buechlein . 4, 5 Christmas Supplement. 11 Editorial . 4 Question Corner . 21 TheCriterion Sunday and Daily Readings . 21 Serving the ChurchCriterion in Central and Souther n Indiana Since 1960 www.archindy.org December 20, 2002 Vol. XXXXII, No. 12 50¢ THE INCARNATION Then He summoned an archangel, Saint Gabriel: and when he came, Sent him forth to find a maiden, Mary was her name. Only through her consenting love Could the mystery be preferred That the Trinity in human Flesh might clothe the Word. Though the three Persons worked the wonder It only happened in the One. So was the Word made incarnation In Mary’s womb, a son. So He who only had a Father Now had a Mother undefiled, Though not as ordinary maids Had she conceived the Child. By Mary, and with her own flesh He was clothed in His own frame: Both Son of God and Son of Man Together had one name. — Saint John of the Cross ABOUT THE COVER Mary and the child Jesus appear in the center panel of a triptych attributed to 15th-century Italian monk and painter Fra Angelico. The artwork is a holding of the Uffizi in Florence, Italy. The Dec. 25 Christmas feast commemorates the Incarnation of the Divine Word at the birth of Christ. CNS photo courtesy Art Resource Page 2 The Criterion Friday, December 20, 2002 Cardinal’s resignation follows year of growing scandal BOSTON (CNS)—Cardinal Bernard F. Cape Girardeau, Mo., from 1973-84. priest of the archdiocese since 1973 and a Priests, said the healing process “will be Law’s resignation as archbishop of In a brief statement from the Vatican, bishop since Sept. 24, 2001. long and torturous” and warned that more Boston on Dec. 13 came at the end of a he said he hoped his resignation would He was rector of St. John’s Seminary painful disclosures still lie ahead on the year in which the burgeoning clergy sex help the archdiocese “experience the heal- in Brighton and regional bishop for the “rocky road to recovery.” abuse scandal practically paralyzed his ing, reconciliation and unity which are so western part of the archdiocese at the time She said the resigned cardinal “is, in archdiocese and exploded into a national desperately needed. of his new appointment. He said he would some respects, merely a symptom and a crisis that consumed the energies of “To all those who have suffered from resign those posts “to devote myself to symbol of a much more pervasive and Church leaders across the country. my shortcomings and mistakes, I both the administrative and spiritual leadership deep-seated clerical culture that devalues He was the first cardinal in the world apologize and from them beg forgive- of the archdiocese.” both adult and child parishioners.” to resign his post because of a failure to ness,” he said. Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of St. Paul- protect children from sexually abusive His departure was announced less than Belleville, Ill., president of the U.S. Minneapolis, chairman of the bishops’ Ad priests under his charge. an hour after he met privately with Pope Conference of Catholic Bishops, said, “In Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse, called Cardinal Law, 71, had led the Boston John Paul II at the end of a weeklong nearly 30 years as a bishop, Cardinal Law the resignation another step toward “heal- Archdiocese since 1984. As a cardinal unannounced visit to the Vatican. has made many contributions to the bish- ing from this tragic chapter” in the since 1985, he was the top-ranking mem- The pope named Boston Auxiliary ops’ conference.” He offered prayers for Church’s history. ber of the U.S. hierarchy. Harvard-edu- Bishop Richard G. Lennon as apostolic the cardinal, Bishop Lennon and the arch- In the days preceding Cardinal Law’s cated, he had been a priest of the Diocese administrator, or interim head, of the diocese. trip to Rome and resignation, almost daily of Natchez-Jackson (now Jackson), Miss., archdiocese until a new archbishop is Barbara Blaine, president of the events converged to seal his fate. from 1961-73, and bishop of Springfield- named. Bishop Lennon, 55, has been a Survivors’ Network of those Abused by See RESIGN, page 9 Vatican grants Cathedral Nativity set has a rich histor y formal approval By Brandon A. Evans to U.S. bishops’ About 80 years ago a man who Submitted photo would become a cardinal purchased a revised sex Nativity set on a visit to the Eternal City. It was the 1920s, and the rector of abuse norms SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis, a priest by the name of VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The Vatican Joseph Ritter, accompanied then-Bishop has approved the U.S. bishops’ revised Joseph Chartrand on a quadrennial visit norms for dealing with clerical sex abuse, to the Vatican. saying it is “fully supportive of the bishops’ At some point during that visit, the efforts to combat and prevent such evil.” priest purchased a Nativity set and The formal recognitio or decree of brought it back to the United States. recognition, which was widely expected, The crèche, said Joseph Vitale, a was signed on Dec. 8 by Cardinal Giovanni member of Cathedral Parish and a tour Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for guide there, could have been made in Bishops, making the norms binding on all Germany or Italy, though he strongly U.S. bishops and dioceses. favors the latter because of the style and The decree, released on Dec. 16 at the the clothes that the three kings and the Vatican, was accompanied by a letter from shepherds are wearing. Cardinal Re to Bishop Wilton D. Gregory “Studying it is an extremely valuable of Belleville, Ill., president of the U.S. thing,” he said. “I love antique things … Conference of Catholic Bishops. and I’ve seen a lot of Nativity sets in Cardinal Re said it was essential that the Europe.” Church “punish in a just way those who are “It’s such a beautiful piece of art and The Virgin Mary and St. Joseph care for their infant, Jesus, in a stable built beside a “stone” wall in guilty of such abominable offenses” and it evokes so many feelings of faith [and] the Nativity set at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis. The crèche was purchased in the that it give special care to the victims of memories,” said Father Richard Ginther, 1920s by then-Father Joseph Ritter, who later was appointed Cardinal-Archbishop of St. Louis. abuse and their families. pastor of Cathedral Parish. The U.S. bishops, he said, also must One of the features of the Nativity set, There are rocks and a crude-looking up or none of it was up. “devote every available resource to restor- besides the enormity of it, is its realism. stable, and animals grazing in the general Pastors have come and gone at the ing the public image of the Catholic priest- The pieces are designed not only in area. Cathedral, but the crèche has remained. hood as a worthy and noble vocation of varying sizes to create an effect of Perhaps most surprising—at least for The man who bought the ethnic generous and often sacrificial service to the depth, but also come together to create the time that the set was purchased—is Nativity set went on to become the first people of God.” an image of the Nativity that strives for that most of the figures are people of archbishop of Indianapolis, then the In June, the bishops’ conference adopted a more accurate portrayal than most. varying ethnicity. archbishop of St. Louis. In both dioce- a child protection charter and the legal Piety is not exaggerated, Vitale said. “I think it took guts to display this ses, he raged against the scourge of norms, pledging to remove permanently The donkeys are not singing, nor are thing,” Vitale said. The black people in it racism and fought segregation. from ministry any priest or deacon who the sheep gazing lovingly at Jesus. The are authentic, he said, and not just white In time, Joseph Ritter, a native had ever sexually abused a child. people assume normal poses, and even people painted black. Indiana, priest and bishop, would After concerns were raised by the the original angel looked like a normal For the past 10 years, the set has gone receive the red hat from Pope John Vatican, a special commission of Vatican woman—except, of course, with up piece by piece over the anticipatory XXIII and participate in the Second officials and U.S. bishops met in October, wings. season of Advent, ending, of course, with Vatican Council. putting the legislative norms into greater “Even the animals do what critters the addition of the baby Jesus on Meanwhile, the crèche continued to conformity with general Church law and do best,” he said. They look around Christmas Eve. be visited by rural Indiana families who stipulating that trials by Church tribunals with curiosity and contentment.” “In the early days when they first got it, were spending a day in the capital city are the ordinary way to permanently The background is a huge oil paint- one family took responsibility for putting it to see the Christmas decorations and remove priests who have sexually abused ing with a properly placed light behind [all] up on Christmas Eve day,” Vitale said. visit churches. children. it to create the illusion of an unusually He suspects that the set was viewed as a Vitale said his first encounter with the The U.S.

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