Sooner Catholic soonercatholic.org March 1, 2020 archokc.org Go Make Disciples Safe Haven Sunday addresses addiction of pornography Safe Haven Sunday March 8 Year One,” Safe Haven Sunday is meant to equip families with information about pornography and help parents learn how to safeguard children. Safe Haven “Safe Haven Sunday is a weekend set aside by di- By Jolene Schonchin The Sooner Catholic oceses and parishes to directly address the harms Sunday of pornography in an appropriate way. Within the context of the Mass, dioceses and parishes are able afe Haven Sunday will take place the sec- to provide teaching and resources that will support ond Sunday of Lent, March 7-8. On this and protect individuals, marriages and families in Find resources particular weekend, parents, grandpar- making all homes a safe haven,” the guide states. ents and all families can learn about the “The use of pornography by anyone in the home to help talk to harmS of pornography, how it negatively impacts deprives the home of its role as a safe haven and marriages and families and destroys the way of life has negative effects throughout a family’s life and families about God has commanded. across generations. Implementing Safe Haven pornography at In 2015, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Sunday is accomplished by following step-by-step issued the formal statement, “Create in Me a Clean instructions.” CleanHeart. Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography.” In According to research cited in that document, the the document, they encourage pastors to embrace average child is first exposed to pornography by online/archokc. their duty to protect children from pornography. According to the “Dioceses Implementation Guide continued on page 6 Personal conversion needed to confront Satan’s lies, pope says in Lent message By Hannah Brockhaus this message rejects the lie Catholic News Agency that our life is ours to do with as we will.” VATICAN CITY – There Rather, the pope said, life is an urgent need for per- is born of the love of God sonal conversion, without our Father. which the temptations of “If we listen instead to the Satan, and the presence of tempting voice of the ‘father evil, create a “hell here on of lies,’ we risk sinking into earth,” Pope Francis said in the abyss of absurdity, and his 2020 Lenten message. experiencing hell here on “Christian joy flows from earth, as all too many tragic listening to, and accepting, events in the personal and the Good News of the death Pope Francis offers Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Feb. 1. Photo and resurrection of Jesus,” continued on page 5 Daniel Ibanez/CNA. he said. “Whoever believes 2 March 1, 2020 Sooner Catholic Sooner Catholic March 1, 2020 3 Put Out Into the Deep Luke 5:4 Find more Pope shares his “dreams” for Amazon region, news on the its Catholic community Resources for the Lenten journey website The season of our Lenten renewal is upon us. On renewal of the Church By Sooner Catholic Staff By Cindy Wooden tion the theft during the synod of wooden sion from the bishop” and a voice in decision Ash Wednesday, we were marked with ashes and in Oklahoma. Catholic News Service statues of a pregnant woman, usually referred making. exhorted to repent and believe the Good News, the I have asked our Additional coverage of to by the media as “pachamama” or described Peppered with poetry praising the region’s Gospel of Jesus Christ. These 40 days are a journey priests and deacons to Church and archdiocesan as a symbol of life and fertility by synod partic- beauty or lamenting its destruction, much of of faith and conversion leading to a renewal of our VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis said he dreams ipants. the document looks at the exploitation of the help encourage all of the news and events, only on baptismal commitment at Easter, or for those who of an Amazon region where the rights of the But, he insisted, “Let us not be quick to Amazon region’s indigenous communities and faithful of the archdio- www.soonercatholic.org. are journeying as catechumens or candidates, this cese to read and study poor and indigenous are respected, local cul- describe as superstition or paganism certain poor inhabitants and the destruction of its nat- season leads to the celebration of the Easter sacra- tures are preserved, nature is protected and religious practices that arise spontaneously ural resources. the pastoral letter, “Go a The application period is ments with us for the first time. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley the Catholic Church is present and active with from the life of peoples.” “The Amazon region has been presented as Make Disciples! Building open for the Permanent Dea- Lent is a time to experience again the Good News “Amazonian features.” The pope devoted several long passages to an enormous empty space to be filled, a source a Culture of Conversion con Class of 2025. To apply, that God loves us, that he sent his Son Jesus to suf- In his apostolic exhortation “Querida Amazo- the theme of “inculturation,” the process by of raw materials to be developed (and) a wild and Discipleship” during Lent. Our staff recently has meet with the pastor at the fer and die for us, that he has conquered sin by his nia” (Beloved Amazonia), Pope Francis made no which the faith becomes “incarnate” in a local expanse to be domesticated,” the pope wrote. completed two study guides (others are forthcom- parish where you are regis- victory over death and that he has given us a share in mention of the idea of ordaining married men culture, taking on local characteristics that are “None of this recognizes the rights of the orig- ing) to help individuals, families and small groups of tered. The pastor will request his life by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into our to the priesthood so that far-flung Catholic in harmony with the faith and giving the local all sorts to enter more deeply into reflection on the an application be e-mailed inal peoples; it simply ignores them as if they hearts. communities would have regular access to the culture values and traits that come from the teaching of the pastoral letter. to you. Complete applica- did not exist or acts as if the lands on which We are his beloved sons and daughters. Jesus, Our Eucharist. One resource is a one-session study guide. The oth- tion and provide supporting universal Church. they live do not belong to them.” Lord, has gone before us to prepare a place for us in Instead, he said “every effort should be made er is a five-part study intended to help participants documents; e-mail complet- “There is a risk,” he said, “that evangelizers The destruction of the forest, the polluting the Father’s house. We are heirs to a heavenly king- to ensure that the Amazonian people do not take a deeper dive into the content of the pastoral ed application as instructed who come to a particular area may think that of the Amazon River and its tributaries and dom that we are called to help advance now through lack this food of new life and the sacrament of they must not only communicate the Gospel letter. Other guides specially written for families, chil- in the packet for review and the disruption and contamination of the land the works of charity, justice and mercy. forgiveness.” but also the culture in which they grew up.” dren and youth are nearly complete. assessment. Applications will by mining industries, he said, further impov- I pray that each of us – each member of the faith- “A specific and courageous response is Instead, he said, “what is needed is coura- erish the region’s poor, increase the chances The other resource be accepted through May 29. ful, each household, required of the Church” to meet the needs of geous openness to the novelty of the Spirit, that they will become victims of trafficking and that I encourage E-mail questions to each parish – will find a Catholics, he said, without dictating what that who is always able to create something new destroy their communities and cultures, which you to spend time [email protected]. fruitful path shaped by response would be. with the inexhaustible riches of Jesus Christ.” are based on a close and care-filled relation- the traditional threefold with this Lent is the a However, Pope Francis opened the document One of the characteristics of many Catholic ship with nature. disciplines of prayer, pastoral plan, which To become a Seminarian , go online to saying he wanted “to officially present the final communities in the Amazon, he wrote, is that, “The inescapable truth is that, as things fasting and almsgiving was introduced at the Pen Pal archokc.org/penpal, find document” of October’s Synod of Bishops for in the absence of priests, they are led and sus- stand, this way of treating the Amazon territo- during these holy days. Archdiocesan Convo- their addresses and write a the Amazon. The final document asked for tained by “strong and generous women, who, ry spells the end for so much life, for so much As we begin this sea- cation in December. note. They would like to hear criteria to be drawn up “to ordain as priests undoubtedly called and prompted by the Holy beauty, even though people would like to keep son of Lent, I want to “Vision 2030, A Pasto- from people back home in suitable and respected men of the community Spirit, baptized, catechized, prayed and acted thinking that nothing is happening,” Pope propose a few additional ral Plan for the Arch- Oklahoma! with a legitimately constituted and stable fam- as missionaries.” Francis wrote.