Jean Vanier, Who Changed Lives of Intellectually Disabled, Dies
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WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | May 10-23, 2019 | Volume 80, Number 13 ORLANDO DIOCESE PALM BEACH DIOCESE VENICE DIOCESE Healing for Sri Lankans A sister’s vocation Marian devotion Jean Vanier, who changed lives of intellectually disabled, dies MICHAEL SWAN believing in God, but of believing cated to people with intellectual Catholic News Service in human beings, believing in our- disabilities began. With Raphael selves, and seeing people as God Simi and Philippe Seux, two for- TORONTO | Jean Vanier, 90, sees them.” merly institutionalized men, Vanier founder of L’Arche communities That means not relating to them established the first L’Arche (“The and co-founder of Faith and Light, from a sense of power, even if that Ark”) community in an unheated, died May 7. Vanier had been suffer- power comes from generosity. tumbledown stone house at Trosly- ing from cancer and was assisted at “Generosity is something that is Breuil, north of Paris, in 1964. a L’Arche facility in Paris. good,” Vanier said. “When we have Speaking to The Catholic Register Vanier permanently changed more wealth, resources and time, last year, Vanier seemed still sur- the fate of intellectually disabled we want to succor those in need, prised that this precarious experi- people everywhere by demonstrat- and that’s good. But behind gener- ment had grown to 147 communi- ing how the care of a community osity is a notion of power. Generos- ties operating in 35 countries for could open lives to meaning, joy, ity must flow into an encounter. We the benefit of approximately 10,000 hope and trust — not just the lives must meet people. It’s not a ques- core members — the intellectually of the disabled, but the lives also of tion of doing for, but of listening to disabled people who form the core those who live with them and care their stories.” of every L’Arche community are for them. Over the past year, Vanier The son of George Vanier, former called “core members.” gradually entered into the sort of governor general of Canada, and “I began in a rather dilapidated frailty and weakness natural to his Pauline Archer, whose cause for house. I didn’t realize it was some- Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche communities, is pictured in a age, before entering palliative care sainthood as a couple remains ac- thing rather new,” Vanier said in an March 3, 2011, photo. (COURTESY JEAN VANIER ASSOCIATION | CNS) in France in April. tive, Vanier was educated at board- April 2018 interview. “What I really In L’Arche communities, the dis- ing schools in England, France and see is the hand of God. Doors start- under the guidance of Father Henri of people who could never read his abled residents are seen as the “core Canada. It was in northern France ed opening. Money started com- Nouwen, the Dutch-born theo- books and cared nothing about all members,” and treated as individu- where he first visited psychiatric ing. It was just the hand of God, as logian who lived several years at his academic accomplishments. als, with respect and love, and non- hospitals, and met institutionalized if somewhere the pain of God was L’Arche Daybreak in Ontario. “Living with people with dis- disabled and disabled residents men with intellectual disabilities somewhere that the littlest people, Over the years, Vanier was trans- abilities is so simple. You have fun alike learn to live together. who were brutalized and neglected. the weakest people were being re- formed by his own movement. together,” he said. “They’re not “Our danger is to see what is One of these men asked Vanier, jected.” From the tall, reserved, conserva- intellectual people. They’re not broken in a person, what is nega- “Will you be my friend?” From that L’Arche’s embrace of multicul- tive and serious Catholic and for- people who are going to have big tive, and not to see the person,” said moment, the international L’Arche turalism and interfaith communi- mer naval officer, he became the discussions about finance, politics, Vanier. “It’s not just a question of movement of communities dedi- ties began in Canada, particularly grandfatherly, twinkle-eyed friend philosophy. They like to have fun.” n Pope Francis says study on women deacons was inconclusive CINDY WOODEN flying with him from North Mace- the church from including women However, the pope had prom- “He was a virtuous man and for Catholic News Service donia to Rome May 7. among permanent deacons, as was ised to set up the commission, and this reason, the church beatified After the six men and six women the case in the primitive church? two of the scholars said in January him,” Pope Francis said. “But at a ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT scholars on the commission fin- Why not constitute an official com- that they had completed their work. certain point in the canonization FROM NORTH MACEDONIA | ished their work, he said, there was mission to study the matter?” The pope did not tell reporters what process, there were points that The commission Pope Francis ap- “some agreement,” but not on the The pope had told the sisters steps, if any, would come next. hadn’t been clarified, historical pointed to study the history and crucial question of whether women that his understanding was that the While on the flight, the pope points. ... I asked for advice, and I identity of women deacons did not were ordained or solemnly blessed women described as deaconesses took a question concerning the saw that I needed to ask for help reach a unanimous conclusion like abbesses are. “Some say there in the New Testament were not or- ongoing Catholic-Serbian Ortho- from (Serbian Orthodox Patriarch) about whether deaconesses in the are doubts,” the pope said. “Well, dained like permanent deacons dox tensions over the sainthood Irinej.” early church were “ordained” or then, let’s study some more. I don’t are. Mainly, he had said, it appeared cause of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, Together the Vatican and the formally “blessed,” the pope said. have a problem with that.” that they assisted with the baptism archbishop of Zagreb from 1937 to patriarch set up a commission to “What is fundamental is that At a May 2016 meeting with the by immersion of other women, with 1960. Cardinal Stepinac remains a study Blessed Stepinac because “for there was no certainty that there women’s International Union of Su- anointing women and with giving national hero for Croats, but not for Irinej and for me, the only concern was an ordination with the same periors General, leaders of women’s witness on behalf of women seek- many Serbian Orthodox and some was for the truth,” the pope said. form and same aim as the ordina- religious orders, one of them had ing a dissolution of their marriage Jewish groups, who have accused “What good is a decree of sainthood tion of men,” the pope told reporters asked the pope, “What prevents because their husbands beat them. him of being a Nazi sympathizer. if the truth is not clear?” n WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | May 10-23, 2019 FLORIDACatholic ORLANDO DIOCESE EASTER BOMBING IN SRI LANKA Local interfaith service memorializes those lost GLENDA MEEKINS “Even in Sri Lanka, we all lived of the Florida Catholic staff together. We did not have any mis- understanding,” he said. “I am not ORLANDO | It was some time blaming everybody. This is a very before midnight Holy Saturday small group.” when Percy Fonseka, a native Sri Sri Lanka has suffered from Lankan and parishioner of Holy strife, including a 26-year civil war Family Parish in Orlando, received that ended in 2009 with 100,000 the text, “There’s been a blast.” deaths. Fonseka and his eldest son Although almost 10,000 miles came to the United States in 1998 separated Fonseka from his native “for safety and security.” country, it only took five minutes “We do not need anymore of this. for the news about bombs that tore Enough is enough. Our country through towns in Sri Lanka to arrive can’t take another thing like this,” to his phone. The text came from a Fonseka said somberly. “We can live friend who served with him in the together. We need peace. It does not military. Although the first text was have to come at such a cost.” a shock, a second text shortly fol- To assuage his grief and that of lowed, and it was harrowing: “It is his people, Fonseka sought out his not a blast; it is an attack.” pastor, Father John Giel, asking him “I was so shocked. I could not be- if an interfaith service could be of- lieve it,” Fonseka recalled. “I called fered to honor those who perished other colleagues and family to find and offer healing for those grieving. out what was going on. While we The idea was “warmly welcomed,” were on the phone, more calls and Fonseka said. radio messages started coming in.” Noelani Parys, a fellow Holy It was around 9 a.m. Easter Sun- Family parishioner and Sri Lankan, Police officials look over the scene after a bombing at St. Sebastian Church near Negombo, Sri Lanka, day in Sri Lanka when eight bombs helped Fonseka organize the ser- April 21, 2019. Some 253 people were killed and hundreds more injured on Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka exploded in three churches and vice. Her father, who is in Colombo, when attackers unleashed an apparently coordinated series of bombings that simultaneously targeted three luxury hotels in the capital of alerted her of the bombing Holy Sat- Christian churches and luxury hotels.