Western Kentucky Catholic 600 Locust Street Nonprofit Org. Owensboro, Kentucky 42301 U.S. Postage Western Kentucky Paid Owensboro, KY Change Service Requested Permit No. 111 CATHOLIC 42301 Volume 30, Number 4 The Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky April, 2003 Vatican warns that those who give up on peace must answer to God By John Norton, Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As U.S. President George W. Bush abandoned international Pope John Paul II gestures from his diplomacy and set a countdown for war on Iraq, the Vatican warned that whoever gives up apartment window as his gives his on peaceful solutions would have to answer for the decision to God and history. Sunday blessing March 16 above St. The Vatican statement March 18 came a day after Bush gave Iraqi President Saddam Peter’s Square. In a passionate plea Hussein and his sons a 48-hour ultimatum to leave Iraq to avoid military conflict. for peace, the pope said Iraqi leaders “Whoever decides that all the peaceful means made available under international law are had a duty to cooperate with the exhausted assumes a grave responsibility before God, his conscience and history,” said international community to avert war Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls. an d told both sides there was still The one-sentence statement did not mention Bush or any other international leaders by time to negotiate. (CNS photo from name. Reuters) (March 17, 2003) For months, the Vatican has spoken out against a possible war, calling on all sides to pursue diplomacy to avoid a fresh conflict. Troops called to active duty urged In one of his most impassioned public pleas, Pope John Paul II said March 16 that war would have “tremendous consequences” for Iraqi civilians and for the equilibrium of the entire Middle East and could foment new forms of extremism. to bond together in face of war He called on Saddam to cooperate urgently and fully with the international community DENVER (CNS) — A Denver priest told a group of Catholic reservists being deployed “to eliminate any motive for armed intervention,” and asked member nations of the U.N. for a possible U.S. war against Iraq that they were leaving behind friends and loved ones Security Council to respect their own U.N. charter, which allows the use of force only as but they were “not going alone.” Benedictine Father Ed Kucera, who spent 20 years in a last resort, when all peaceful means have been exhausted. the Army, advised the young Catholics to “bond together and help each other through,” “I say to all: There is still time to negotiate. There is still room for peace. It is never too and “look to each other for solace and comfort.” Father Kucera also advised them to use late to understand each other and to continue to work things out,” the pope said. their “down time” for personal growth, especially during Lent. “This is a time of anxiety Copyright (c) 2003 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for sure, but it can also be a time for self-examination. Ask yourself, ‘What did I learn today?’” he said. The priest made the comments March 5 during an Ash Wednesday Mass, which came on the eve of mobilization for 18 men and two women in the 96th Army Reserve Command. Soldiers Prepare For War Women Soldiers in Kuwait Attend With Exercise in Faith U.S. Army soldiers receive the Eucharist during Mass in the Camp New York Mass desert outside Kuwait City in Kuwait March 16. Soldiers U.S. Army soldiers attend Mass at Camp New York in the Kuwait attended religious services as war appeared imminent, while desert March 15. Soldiers prepared for war by attending reli- Pope John Paul II bows at the Vatican Pope John Paul II discussed his survival of gious services across the region, while Pope John Paul II urged his head in prayer on Ash World War II, saying “War, never again.” (CNS photo from Iraq to place the fate of its citizens as its top priority.(CNS ph oto Wednesday.(CNS photo Reuters) (March 17, 2003) from Reuters) (March 17, 2003) from pool) (March 5, 2003) 2 The Western Kentucky Catholic, April, 2003 Easter is the Feast that makes everything else make sense My Dear Friends, This then is the first act, if you will, in our We are fast approaching the high point of the Church year. celebration of Easter. What begins with sad- We have followed Jesus from His conception (and Mary saying “yes” on March 25th), ness and death ends with NEW LIFE. Death through His many good times and bad times. Through our Catholic celebrations of faith, has been conquered! The penalty for sin has we were there when Jesus was born. We watched Him grow up—from His parents finding been paid, and we have only to follow Jesus Him in the temple, to His going home with them…growing in every way. We were there as disciples who believe in all that has hap- when He chose His apostles. We witnessed His many miracles—and the list goes on. pened in the Easter mystery. We are to go Easter is the Feast that makes everything else make sense. out, as did the women, and tell others about Jesus came to be one with us, so that we might come to know how much God loves us, the miracle. We need to go out, as the dis- how much Jesus loves us. This love for us reaches its pinnacle in the celebration of the ciples and followers of Jesus, to tell others suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, a feast we call Easter. about it. We sometimes marvel at the love that one person has for another. This love is evident I end by pleading with us all to go forth and sometimes under happy circumstances, such as the birth of a child. And it is evident at tell the story of the RISEN CHRIST, tell other times that we are called to join Jesus in His suffering. Our lives are a mixture of both, what this means to the world. as was Jesus’ life. When we see this kind of love for one another, we often say, ‘I don’t I believe this is a special Easter for us all— know how they do it,’ especially when love calls one to suffer, experience pain, for the Church after a year of suffering, for a disappointment, rejection, and at times the loss of a loved one in death. world that suffered and continues to suffer This is such an important point: we can only know the seriousness of sin, when we in war and the threat of war, for people suffer- faith realize how much Jesus loves us. He loves us enough to not only forgive us our sins, ing from unemployment, for people who but He was also willing to pay the price for our sins with His life itself. have suffered losses in their savings, and the Thus, as we approach and celebrate the Easter mysteries, the institution of the Eucharist list goes on. gives us the opportunity to relive His love and His presence always, especially as we If we believe down deep in our hearts that follow His being unjustly condemned, forced to carry His own instrument of death, to His the Risen Lord has come to save us all and suffering on that cross and to His death itself. renew the world in which we live, we will not Most Rev. John J. McRaith, D.D. During these days, we can only stand in awe of how much Jesus loves us. We may ask be saddened by the setbacks of this past year. Bishop, Diocese of Owensboro, Ky. each other in times of trial, ‘I don’t know how He could love me so much’; but He did and If we believe the Risen Lord has come to He does. save us all, we will approach Easter It is easy for us to just slip through Lent and Easter as just another celebration—leaving · with a new joy that we have never known before, out the pain and suffering. But, my friends, this is REAL; it is at the very heart of our faith. · with a new hope that will change our lives, and God’s love leaves us speechless, if we really get into what happened. So, speechless we · with a deepened personal faith that will allow us to get in touch with God’s love in a way are at how much we are loved by our Jesus, one like us except for sin. However, we end that we have never done before. the Easter celebration with another speechless moment. One Easter—the day of Jesus’ So, on that happy night, a joyous Easter to all. You are in my prayers. Please remember resurrection from death—leaves us even more speechless. me as well. Let us pray for each other as sisters and brothers in the Lord. We are all like the women who went to the tomb only to find that Jesus was not there. Yes, the Lord is Risen—let us all rejoice! He quickly assured them that He had been raised from the dead, telling them to go and tell Sincerely in Christ, the others, the apostles, that He was alive and would be with them. Bishop McRaith’s April 2003 Schedule + Most Reverend John J. McRaith Bishop of the Diocese of Owensboro 1 Confirmation, St. Mark, Eddyville, 6pm 3 Staff Meeting., CPC 5 Confirmation, Ft.