A legacy of service Teens, young adults make mission trips thanks to Brooke Lahr Memorial Fund, page 7. Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com July 18, 2014 Vol. LIV, No. 40 75¢ Vatican to support ‘They’re still God’s children’ help for ongoing ‘humanitarian emergency’ of child migrants MEXICO CITY (CNS)—The Vatican’s secretary of state pledged full support for addressing the issue of child migrants streaming out of Central America in search of safety and family reunification in the United States. Pope Francis, meanwhile, described the situation as a “humanitarian emergency” and called for the international community to act. Speaking at Mexico’s Foreign Relations Secretariat on July 14, Cardinal Pietro Parolin repeated a recent call of bishops in five countries for Catholics and society at large to lend a helping hand for the thousands of young migrants traveling through Mexico and often arriving unaccompanied in the United States. “Given these migratory facts, we urgently need to overcome primitive misgivings and again propose Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin blesses Erica McCaffery during a Mass that he celebrated in the chapel at the Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis common strategies on June 29. To his left distributing Communion is Deacon Dan Collier. About 15 Catholic volunteers visit and teach the women in prison every week. at the subregional, (Photo by John Shaughnessy) regional and world levels that include all sectors of society,” Amid razor wires and prison walls, volunteers Cardinal Parolin said in a speech attended by clergy and the change inmates’ lives as well as their own foreign ministers of (Editor’s note: Of all of Christ’s She received the letter several weeks parish gave me a letter that an inmate Mexico, Guatemala, instructions to reach out to others in after she felt “very strongly urged by sent to the church. He thanked us for the El Salvador and need, the one that can be the most the Holy Spirit” to have the children she handmade Christmas card. He had been Cardinal Honduras. intimidating and difficult for many people taught in a religious education program in prison for over 20 years, and had never Pietro Parolin “Their numbers is to visit those in prison. Yet these visits make Christmas cards for the inmates received a handmade Christmas card. He grow daily exponentially,” he said of can not only change the lives of the at a nearby correctional facility. said it was the best part of his Christmas.” the Central Americans abandoning their prisoner, they can change the lives of the “I called the The next part of the man’s letter countries. “Whether they travel for reasons person making the visit. chaplain and asked touched her even more. of poverty, violence or the hope of uniting Here is the story of three Catholics for a list of names “His bunkie was a Catholic who had with families on the other side of the border, whose lives have been changed through of inmates that just begun to teach him the rosary, and he it is urgent to protect and assist them, their prison ministry. It’s the second never received any attended Mass a couple of times. He was because their frailty is greater and they’re in a continuing series of stories called visitors, phone calls full of hope for his future, and wanted to defenseless, they’re at the mercy of any The Catholic Connection: Changing or letters,” Kazlas set things straight with God before he was abuse or misfortune.” Lives in the Criminal Justice System.) recalls. released from prison. The cardinal traveled to Mexico as “We made “I never forgot his letter. It deeply countries in the region came to grips with an By John Shaughnessy Christmas cards for touched my heart.” increase in the number of Central American these men. About That letter has continued to inspire migrants not seen in decades—and an The letter still touches and inspires a month later, the Kazlas during the past seven years influx so unexpected and massive that Laura Kazlas. Laura Kazlas deacon from our See VOLUNTEERS, page 16 U.S. officials have had difficulties properly See MIGRANTS, page 3 Lead by example: Pope Francis offers abuse victims open ear and open heart during Vatican visit VATICAN CITY (CNS)—More than a Germany on July 7, said: “This is not only He invited survivors to the heart of meeting and homily, Pope Francis laid out about the letter of the law. This has to come the Church in Rome for a real sit-down a clear road map for from the heart if this is to really take fruit,” conversation—devoid of aides and officials, the Church when he and make real, lasting change. for a total of two and a half hours. celebrated Mass and The homily-plan of action repeated “The pope gave so much time. There welcomed abuse calls for zero tolerance and accountability was no hurry, there was no clock watching. survivors to the for the “despicable” crime of abuse and Each survivor got the time they needed to Vatican. underlined continued commitment to tell the pope their story or whatever they The morning vigilance in priestly formation and better wanted to say,” said Marie Collins, who he dedicated to policies, procedures and training for the accompanied one of the two survivors from six men and women implementation norms. Ireland for the closed-door papal meeting. who had been But most striking that day, some of “It was wonderful to see the pope abused by clergy the visiting survivors said, were not the listening so intently, for the survivor was a powerful pronouncements at Mass, but the heart that to feel heard and have the opportunity Pope Francis combination of went into the patient, one-on-one listening to say everything they wanted to say,” upholding the later, in private. said Collins, who is also a survivor of importance of having the letter of the law While Pope Benedict XVI began the clerical abuse. and displaying the proper spirit behind it. highly symbolic meetings with groups The eye contact, the silent reflection and Jesuit Father Hans Zollner, a German of survivors with his 2008 visit to how the pope reacted all showed how “it psychologist and psychotherapist who Washington D.C., Pope Francis took the must have been hugely emotional for him as accompanied the two abuse survivors from practice further. See VATICAN, page 2 Page 2 The Criterion Friday, July 18, 2014 how to go about it are not always clear, dozens of Church leaders meet every year VATICAN ‘The pope gave so much time. There was no hurry, continued from page 1 for the Anglophone Conference on the Safeguarding of Children, Young People there was no clock watching. Each survivor got well as for each of the survivors,” she said. and Vulnerable Adults. the time they needed to tell the pope their story or This seemingly simple feature of limited Founded in 1996, the annual conference whatever they wanted to say. … It was wonderful distractions and formalities ended up being brings together an unexpected turning point for many experts and Church to see the pope listening so intently, for the of the visitors, delegates from survivor to feel heard and have the opportunity to Collins said, even around the globe, to say everything they wanted to say.’ “life-changing” for share best practices another who later and develop — Marie Collins, a member of the spoke to the press. solid norms in Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Collins and the prevention Father Zollner, and handling of Minors and an abuse victim both members of the scandal of the new Pontifical sexual abuse. Commission for Collins and Committee on the Protection of Children within its own walls, Father Zollner said the Protection Deacon Father Zollner were and Young People, said in one sense, laws won’t matter unless there is “a whole of Minors, said Bernard Nojadera among the speakers responding to the abuse crisis should seem change of culture within the Church,” Bishop listening not just to at the July 7-11 conference, which was very simple. After all, “it is shepherding one that is no longer “drawn to secrecy,” R. Daniel Conlon groups, but to the being held in Rome the same week the and caring for the flock, but the milk is out cover-ups and siding with the perpetrator, personal stories of individual survivors, is a pope met with victims. of the bottle,” he said, adding, “Humpty but to openness to the truth and listening message to all bishops of what they should Deacon Bernard Nojadera, executive Dumpty is broke.” to victims. be doing in their own countries. director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat No matter what gets done for victims or Helping Church leaders listen to “Now every victim in the world can of Child and Youth Protection, said the perpetrators, “it won’t repair the damage,” survivors is key to getting leaders to see the say, ‘Look, you Anglophone conference “is like a think he said. importance of norms and enforcing them, have to do what tank” where people can bounce ideas Cesareo said that’s why so much talk he said. the pope did,’ ” around and have a healthy dialogue. must look at the future. Hearing their stories “changes your Father Zollner said. There can never be a “cookie-cutter “How will the Church prevent the same life and your attitude toward the whole Collins said: approach,” said Francesco Cesareo, level of abuse? We should be prepared issue,” he said, “if your heart is not made “It’s a win-win chairman of the U.S.