Click here for Full Issue of Fidelio Volume 5, Number 4, Winter 1996 INTERVIEWS Most Reverend Anthony Michael Pilla, President, U.S. National Conference of Catholic Bishops ‘We don’t believe in future life, we believe in eternal life—and we’re already experiencing it’ Bishop Anthony Pilla was elected president act in the present. It’s very of the National Conference of Catholic important to focus in the Bishops in November 1995, after having present moment, rejoice served as vice-president for the previous in the present moment. three years. As president, he presides over The reality we see is the the meetings of the Bishops, over the present day, but that is not administrative committee for the confer- the whole reality. ence, is chairman of the executive commit- tee, and gives oversight to the staff of the Fidelio: Pope John Paul, National Conference of Catholic Bish- in the letter, says, the pre- ops/United States Catholic Conference in sent is a “plan for the Washington, D.C. fullness of time, to unite Bishop Pilla was born in 1932, and was all things in Him, things ordained to the priesthood in 1959. In June in Heaven and things on 1979, Pope John Paul II announced his Earth. Christ is the choice of Rev. Pilla as Titular Bishop of Alpha and the Omega.” Scardona and Auxiliary Bishop of Cleve- Bishop Pilla: The Holy land, Ohio, and in January 1981, he was Father, in raising the the- installed as the Ninth Bishop of Cleveland. Bishop Pilla was interviewed for Fidelio by Nina Ogden at the National Lay Forum Jesus made it pretty clear: in Cleveland, Ohio, which was sponsored by You don’t love God, if the National Conference of Catholic Bish- ops Committee on the Laity. The interview you don’t love your was conducted on October 11. A previous brothers and sisters. interview with Bishop Pilla appeared in the What are we doing to Spring 1996 issue of Fidelio. bring about justice? What Fidelio: In the same issue of Fidelio, in are we doing to eradicate which this interview will appear, we poverty? Are we making There’s no question about the triumph examine the question of “time reversal.” of the Gospel, but in each moment our In re-reading the Pope’s Apostolic Let- a difference? Or, do we perspective is very important. That’s ter, “Toward the Third Millennium,” I buy all the rhetoric, that very key, very key—because you’re talk- became aware that John Paul situated every poor person is a ing about eternal reality here. We’re just the Jubilee in this context, of the future one part of that, but it’s the whole thing acting on the present. He wrote: “Speak- ‘welfare junkie,’ and all that we’re engaged in; and we have our ing of the birth of the Son of God, St. that nonsense? part to play in the whole salvation histo- Paul places this event in the ‘fullness of ry, and our part is very important. time.’ Time is indeed fulfilled by the We’re part of that, because Christ is sal- very fact that God, in the Incarnation, ological point of view—that’s an eternal vation and participating in the whole came down into human history.” perspective. It’s unity, all One. We expe- salvific event is what’s tremendous here. Bishop Pilla: The future shapes our pre- rience it sequentially. We should always So nothing is really insignificant; every- sent lives. The danger is to live in the have a vision of the eternal, or the unity thing we do is “big stuff,” cumulatively, future, thinking that you don’t have to of time. That’s where hope is based. in the mystical body. The Pope is so pro- 83 © 1996 Schiller Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission strictly prohibited. found and so poetic—that’s what he’s talking about—, and he’s very conscious of his role, and he wants us to be con- They accuse us of being hysterical about ‘the slippery scious of our own. slope.’ Well, it is a slippery slope. Who’s going to make It’s not such a complicated thing; it’s these decisions? Will they kill the elderly? The the root of responsibility. By identifying handicapped? People who are not in their peer group? Once Christ present in our life now, we are in the future, in a sense. We’re already you establish this principle, where does it end? We’ve seen there, because we don’t believe in future that historically. We must be opposed to these things. life, we believe in eternal life; and we’re already experiencing it in ways that are very important. So, we don’t have to wait; we experience eternal life now. the concept of this legislation and apply could about it. If it’s true, I don’t know Heaven is a fulfillment of this. We don’t it to the realities of our time: Africa, the how you justify it; that’s expediency at have to wait for some ideal Church, as Third World debt, and the terrible its worst. Can you justify all that by some people do. We don’t have to be sad oppression it’s causing, and the violence. national interest? The national interest and grumpy, waiting for something We focus on those tragic situations. And must involve the whole society. What ideal; we can rejoice. look at our urban situation. This is about the people victimized by drugs? where we have to be careful that it’s not Shouldn’t there be complementarity Fidelio: I thought it was crucial that he something simply theoretical. How does between the needs of people, foreign developed time in this way. this reality inform our situation? That policy, and national interest? And what Bishop Pilla: That’s why he set the theology has to inform our behavior. about the integrity of our government? focus in the first year on the Incarna- How does this impact on our behavior, tion. Unless you understand the Incar- so that our behavior is Christ-like. Fidelio: There are growing calls for nation—Christ assumed human form We have to be very careful because, investigation. as a slave—you would miss the whole sometimes, religion is a way of rational- Bishop Pilla: We are in the forefront of thing. That was Christ’s role in his izing away our responsibility: “I had most issues concerning justice. We human existence: to put us in touch this encounter with Jesus and I’m haven’t been invited to investigate, with the divine. There’s always the O.K.” Well, that’s not what the Gospel because of the tradition in the U.S. of Trinitarian reality there: through Christ says. The vertical has to be comple- the “separation of Church and state.” we are in touch with the unifying mys- mented by the horizontal, otherwise it’s There’s reluctance to have the Church tery of God. not true Gospel, in our tradition. Jesus involved in any such role, lest that prin- made that pretty clear: You don’t love ciple be violated. Not that I agree with Fidelio: John Paul says, “Against this God, if you don’t love your brothers that. Churches should be involved in background we can understand the cus- and sisters. So we were talking in very civil affairs, without having to be part of tom of the Jubilee. ... In the sabbatical deep terms, initially, about the Incarna- the government. The Church will get year [every seventh year—Ed.], in addi- tion, but the proof of the pudding now, involved in this vital question. We will tion to the freeing of slaves, the Law also is how that is lived out in these issues. say something about this. We’re con- provided for the cancellation of debts in What are we doing to make for less cerned. If we would be asked to investi- accordance with precise regulations. violence? What are we doing to bring gate, we would want to do that. And all this was done for the Glory of about justice? What are we doing to God. What was true for the sabbatical eradicate poverty? And you must ask, Fidelio: The last time I interviewed year was also true for the jubilee year, what can you do, and what are you you, I asked about the Pope’s call for a which fell every fifty years. In the doing? Are we getting involved? Are Synod for the Americas. The Latin jubilee year, however, the customs of the we making a difference? Or, do we buy American bishops have, of course, sabbatical year were broadened.” He all the rhetoric, you know, that every repeatedly called for debt relief. speaks very specifically about “reducing poor person is a “welfare junkie,” and Bishop Pilla: That’s what’s being significantly, if not cancelling outright, all that nonsense? worked on now. We’re involved in the the international debt which seriously process now. The discussion is in two threatens the future of many nations.” Fidelio: I wanted to ask a specific ques- parts. One is evangelization: How can He, of course, talks about Paul VI’s Pop- tion, along those lines, about the scandal we make the Church more present to ulorum Progressio, and that “develop- that the crack-cocaine epidemic emanat- her people, and share it with others? ment is the new name for peace.” This ed from the White House Special Situa- The other part is economic and social brings to mind Bosnia, Northern Ire- tion Group responsible for Iran-Contra.