The Steubenville www.diosteub.org REGISTER VOL. 76, NO. 23 SERVING 13 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST OHIO JULY 9, 2021 News Briefs Bishop celebrates Mass for religious freedom Bishop installs Hahn an acolyte Diocese of Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton installs Joseph Hahn, a diocesan seminarian, pictured kneeling in front of the bishop, as an acolyte at Blessed Sacrament Church, Wintersville, July 4. According to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, “the acolyte is instituted for service at the altar and to assist the priest and deacon. It is his place principally to prepare the altar and the sacred vessels and, if necessary, to distribute the Eucharist to the faithful as an extraordinary minister.” Pictured assisting the bishop are Father Nicholas S. Ward, left, and Peter Stetson, Diocese of Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey M. Monforton celebrates Mass during Religious Freedom Week, a diocesan seminarian. (Photo by Orsatti) June 29, at Holy Family Church, Steubenville. Pictured with the bishop are, from left, Father Drake A. Fire destroys Alberta church McCalister, parochial vicar to Msgr. Gerald E. Calovini, pastor of Holy Family Parish, and Msgr. Calovini. (Photo by Orsatti) By Dino Orsatti through free exercise of our faith. With religious freedom, Editor we prayerfully live out our lives in communion with Jesus STEUBENVILLE — Diocese of Steubenville Bishop Christ himself, inside and outside of the church building,” Jeffrey M. Monforton celebrated Mass at Holy Family said Bishop Monforton in his homily. Church, Steubenville, June 29, on the final day of Religious The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Religious Freedom Week. Freedom Week, June 22-29, is an opportunity for Catholics “To be clean of heart is to make a total commitment across the country to take a “stand for the freedom on which to God’s plan and to share with those in need. We do so To Page 2 Pope Francis continues to recover after surgery Flames engulf St. Jean Baptiste Church By Cindy Wooden Angelus. It is possible that Pope Francis’ midday Angelus in Morinville, Alberta, June 30, in this Catholic News Service appointment July 11 could take place at the Gemelli hospital, still image taken from video obtained VATICAN CITY — The second morning after undergoing as it did on several occasions when St. John Paul II was from social media. The early morning colon surgery, Pope Francis was continuing to recover hospitalized there. The hospital maintains a suite of rooms fire destroyed the century-old Catholic well and, after a restful night, he had breakfast, read the for the popes’ use when necessary. church near Edmonton and is being newspapers and got out of bed to walk, the Vatican press Dr. Sergio Alfieri, a staff surgeon at the Gemelli who treated as suspicious by Royal Canadian office said July 6. His post-operative recovery is proceeding specializes in surgery of the digestive tract and colon, led the Mounted Police. (CNS photo/Diane Burrel, normally, the press office said, and his “routine surgery, assisted by a team of surgeons. social media via Reuters) follow-up exams are good.” Stenosis is a narrowing of a passage in the VANCOUVER, British Columbia (CNS) The day before, the Vatican had explained that human body. The Vatican’s description of the — More churches across Canada have been Pope Francis’ surgery “for diverticular stenosis pope’s condition indicated a partial blockage destroyed or damaged by fires that police are performed the evening of July 4 involved a left of the lower intestine. It provided no informa- describing as suspicious or suspected arson. hemicolectomy and lasted about 3 hours.” tion about the cause or suspected cause of the In regards to the recent fire in Alberta, St. Paul The pope is expected to stay in the hospital for blockage nor of the symptoms the pope had Bishop Paul Terrio said, “It is with a sad heart that a week after the surgery, barring complications. been experiencing. we learn the historic parish church of Morinville A left hemicolectomy is the removal of As soon as the Vatican announced the pope’s burned to the ground early this morning.” He the descending part of the colon and can be hospitalization, get-well messages began being called for “prayers and support for our brothers recommended to treat diverticulitis, when (CNS photo/Paul Haring) posted on social media. and sisters of the Morinville parish as they grieve bulging pouches in the lining of the intestine Pope Francis Pope Francis has been generally healthy since the loss of their very beautiful and historic parish or colon become inflamed or infected. becoming pope in March 2013 except for recurrent bouts church.” The 84-year-old pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli of sciatica. Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith called hospital in the early afternoon July 4 after leading the midday In 1957, the pope suffered from a pulmonary condition at the news “heart-rending” and called for prayers recitation of the Angelus with visitors gathered in St. Peter’s the age of 21 that required him to undergo surgery to remove for parishioners of St. Jean Baptiste. He also said Square. As has been his custom, Pope Francis already had the upper right lobe of one of his lungs. During his time as the archdiocese is working with parish priests and suspended his weekly general audience and other meetings the provincial superior of the Jesuits in Argentina (1973-79), police on arson prevention protocols. for the month of July, except for the Sunday recitation of the he underwent emergency gallbladder surgery. 2 THE STEUBENVILLE REGISTER JULY 9, 2021 Bishop celebrates From Page 1 from around the nation to discuss the vari- a doctorate in American church history, this country was founded: The freedom to ous challenges to religious liberty. observed that freedom of religion is “the live out our faith publicly,” said Arlington Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New first line of defense of/and protection of all Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, who is a York, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Com- human rights.” member of the USCCB Committee for mittee for Religious Liberty, set the tone for Further, religious liberty has been “the Religious Liberty. the Notre Dame conference in his keynote driving force of almost every enlightening, Bishop Monforton said, “Our recent address, observing that religious freedom unshackling, noble cause in American his- celebration of the memorial of Sts. John is a human right, “essential to the dignity tory,” he said, including movements such Fisher and Thomas More, both martyrs for of the human person and the flourishing of as abolition of slavery and the campaigns the faith, is a tangible reminder that a truly all that is noble in us.” for voting rights and civil rights. free society is defined by how it embraces, He noted that defending religious free- Third, “religious freedom is enshrined or not, religious freedom. These two Eng- dom used to be “a nonconfrontational not to protect the government from reli- lish saints stood for the truth even when no-brainer,” as American as “mom, apple gion, but religion from the government,” that very truth was not politically correct, pie, the flag and Knute Rockne.” Now, Cardinal Dolan explained. to the point that their lives were asked of he continued, defense of religious liberty The various religious groups who first them.” has become “caricatured” as an “oppres- settled in this country did not want special The bishop said recent studies show sive, partisan, unenlightened, right-wing treatment from the government, but rather that persecution for one’s faith is pres- crusade,” even considered by some to be just wanted to be left alone to practice ently on the rise globally. He went on to discrimination. their faith, worship in their tradition and say “there is much yet to be accomplished This false narrative must be corrected, follow their moral principles in the public when it comes to religious tolerance and Cardinal Dolan stressed, and he proceeded square. Thus, freedom for religion became a person’s right to live their faith, not just to do so by discussing the concept of reli- a keystone in the country’s founding docu- within the walls of their place of worship, gious freedom enshrined in the founding ments. Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey M. but throughout their everyday life.” documents of the United States. He made Fourth, throughout most of our his- Monforton proclaims the Gospel “As we live out the theme of this year’s four major points in his keynote, titled tory, American culture welcomed religious during the celebration of Religious celebration, ‘Solidarity in Freedom,’ may “Correcting the Narrative.” voices in the public square, Cardinal Dolan Freedom Mass, June 29, at Holy we call to mind the words of Pope Fran- First, he said that we advocate for reli- said. Then the culture moved to neutrality Family Church, Steubenville. (Photo cis: ‘Solidarity means much more than gious freedom not primarily because we before arriving at the present moment, in by Orsatti) engaging in sporadic acts of generosity. It are believers, but because we are “Ameri- which believers face “downright antago- means thinking and acting in terms of com- cans, patriots, rational human beings.” nism,” he said, and the message that we courage to speak the truth with kindness munity,’” Bishop Monforton said, quoting Religious freedom is a fact of the American must leave our conscience behind when and clarity, even in the face of adversity. from “Fratelli Tutti,” Pope Francis’ 2020 experiment that has been cherished and we enter the public square. We pray for our continued liberties for encyclical. defended by people of all faiths. Bishop Monforton said that Religious religious freedom and the freedom of The University of Notre Dame observed Second, religious liberty is not a con- Freedom Week concluded on the feast conscience laws.