CHURCH TODAY Volume XLV, No. 1 www.diocesealex.org Serving the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana Since 1970 January 20, 2014 O N T H E St. Anthony of Padua, Natchitoches INSIDE dedicates new statue of Pray for the victims of Our Lady on-going Syrian Civil War The sheer enormity of the hu- manitarian crisis created by Syria’s of Grace brutal civil war is brutal -- 100,000 are dead, 6.5 million people are displaced inside Syria and nearly 2.5 million have fled the country. Find out how you can help, pg. 2. Alexandria seminarian Brian Seiler serves at Mass with Pope Francis Call it luck -- call it a tremendous blessing -- either way, Brian Seiler was given the opportunity of a lifetime to serve at Mass on the altar with Pope Francis for the New Year’s Day Mass in Rome. Find out more about Brian’s exciting story and about other seminarians who are doing well in their vocations as well, pg. 6. Catholic Schools Week to be celebrated Jan. 26-Feb. 1 The Diocese of Alexandria’s eight Catholic schools have A BEAUTIFUL 6-FT SOLID CARRARA MARBLE STATUE of Our Lady of Grace was been busy with plans to show installed at St. Anthony Church in Natchitoches along with the blessing and distribution off the value of a Catholic school of the Miraculous Medal. Some of the CCD students who participated in the blessing and dedication of the statue Dec. 18 are (back row) , Margie education during Catholic Schools Metoyer, Bridgette Metoyer, Father John O’Brien, Deborah Llorens (head of CCD), and Week, Jan. 26- Feb. 1. See pgs. Vallery Washington. Middle row standing: , and 14-15. Mary Normand. Kneeling: and . To find out more about Our Lady of Grace, see pg. 5. PAGE 2 CHURCH TODAY JANUARY 20, 2014 Pope Francis limits ‘monsignor’ honor to priests age 65+ (CNS) Pope Francis has de- cided to limit the honor of “mon- signor” among diocesan priests and grant it from now on only to those at least 65 years of age. The change, which is not ret- Youngest: 55 Only one from N. America: Average age: 70 Oldest: 98 roactive and does not affect Vati- Bishop Langlois, Haiti Archbishop Lacroix, Quebec Archbishop Soo-Yum, Korea Archbishop Capovilla, Italy can officials or members of reli- gious orders, was announced in a 19 New Cardinals letter from the Vatican Secretariat Pope names 19 new cardinals; of State to nunciatures around the world, along with instructions to 55 Haitian Bishop Chibly Langlois of Les Cayes inform local bishops. induction be to held Feb. 22 56 Canadian Archbishop Gerald Lacroix of Quebec Of the three grades of mon- 59 Italian Archbishop Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state signor -- apostolic protonotary, By Francis X. Rocca riods of time.) 63 Brazilian Archbishop Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro honorary prelate of His Holiness Catholic News Service Five of the new electors are 64 Nicaraguan Archbishop Leopoldo Brenes Solorzano and chaplain of His Holiness -- from Latin America, an increase only the last will be available to (CNS) -- Pope Francis named by one-third of the current num- of Managua diocesan priests who meet the 19 new cardinals, including the ber from the region. Latin Amer- 66 German Archbishop Gerhard Muller, ica, home to about 40 percent of new age requirement. archbishops of Westminster and prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Bishops must resubmit any Quebec and six men from his the world’s Catholics, will ac- 66 Argentine Archbishop Mario Poli of Buenos Aires pending requests for papal hon- home region of Latin America, count for 16 percent of the group ors in accordance with the new and announced a consistory for eligible to choose the next pope. 68 English Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster rules. their formal induction into the Four of the new cardinal 68 Ivorian Archbishop Jean-Pierre Kutwa of Abidjan, Ivory Coast The letter did not give a College of Cardinals Feb. 22. electors are from Italy, leaving 68 Burkina Faso Archbishop Philippe Ouedraogo reason for the change, but Pope The pope announced the that nation’s share practically un- of Ouagadougou Francis has often warned clergy nominations to the faithful in St. changed at nearly a quarter. against the temptations of ca- Peter’s Square shortly after noon Four new cardinal electors 70 Korean Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul reerism and personal ambition. Jan. 12, after praying the Ange- are Vatican officials, three of 71 Italian Archbishop Gualtiero Bassetti them in offices that traditionally The archbishop noted that lus. of Perguia-Citta della Pieve there had been no change regard- The consistory will bring entail membership in the college. 72 Italian Archbishop Beniamino Stella, ing the granting of ecclesiastical the total number of cardinals to Another three of the new honors to laypeople. 218 and the number of cardinals cardinals are already over the age prefect of the Congregation for Clergy Jesuit Father Federico Lom- under age 80 to 122. Until they of 80 and, therefore, ineligible 72 Chilean Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati Andrello of Santiago bardi, the Vatican spokesman, reach their 80th birthdays, cardi- to vote in a conclave. The pope 73 Italian Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, noted Jan. 6 that Pope Paul VI nals are eligible to vote in a con- uses such nominations to honor general secretary of the Synod of Bishops had reformed the system of eccle- clave to elect a new pope. churchmen for their scholarship siastical honors in 1968, reducing Two current cardinal electors or other service to the church. 74 Philippine Archbishop Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato the number of titles to three. will turn 80 in March, bringing Among the new so-called 80 Saint Lucian Archbishop Kelvin Felix, retired, of Castries “Pope Francis’ decision thus the number of electors back to the honorary cardinals is Cardinal- 84 Spanish Archbishop Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, follows in the same line, with fur- limit of 120 set by Pope Paul VI. designate Loris Capovilla, who retired, of Pamplona ther simplification,” Father Lom- (Other popes have occasionally served as personal secretary to bardi said. exceeded that limit for short pe- Blessed John XXIII. 98 Italian Archbishop Capovilla JANUARY 20, 2014 CHURCH TODAY PAGE 3 Ongoing crisis in Syria creating huge humanitarian challenges Pray for victims of Syria’s Civil War -- 100,000 dead; 6.5 million are displaced By Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service (CNS) -- Much has been said about the sheer enormity of the humanitarian crisis created by Syria’s brutal civil war -- 100,000 are dead, 6.5 million people are displaced inside Syria and nearly 2.5 million have fled the country -- but in other ways as well, the situation presents atypical chal- lenges. Sophie Delaunay, executive director of Doctors Without Bor- ders USA, said Syria presents the medical aid organization with the unusual situation of having had a modern medical system that now lies in ruins. “This is a country where the health system was quite sophisti- cated,” Delaunay said. With the medical care system in tatters, aid organizations have had to step in SYRIAN RESIDENTS FLEE HOMES. Syrian residents sit along a road near and other international humanitarian aid agencies estimate that 2.5 million to provide a different type of care Damascus after fleeing their homes following clashes between opposition Syrians have fled to neighboring countries, including Turkey, which shares a than usual. fighters and forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad Dec. 30. The U.N. 560-mile border with Syria. (CNS photo/SANA via Reuters) Add to that the thousands of people suffering from the effects of chemical weapons used in an organization has had to rework its Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., some as young as 7 years old,” he contributed $1.3 billion in hu- attack last year and the medical usual strategy of aiding victims of chairman of the Judiciary Com- explained. manitarian aid to Syria since the a civil war, she said. mittee’s Subcommittee on the “Thousands of children are conflict began in March, 2011. Nancy Lindborg, assistant Constitution, Civil Rights and unaccompanied or separated In addition to medical needs What you can do administrator for Democracy, Human Rights, said that in a visit from their parents. And we have and food, displaced people inside Conflict, and Humanitarian As- last year to Kilis, a refugee camp heard troubling reports of boy Syria and Syrian refugees in ad- • Pray -- for peace in Syria. sistance explained some of the for Syrians in Turkey, he was es- refugees being recruited as com- jacent countries need basic in- challenges in trying to reach all pecially struck by the plight of batants and girl refugees being frastructure including water and • Urge Congress to work towards a those displaced Syrians. Lack children, adding that “a genera- forced into early marriages.” sewer services, housing, schools political solution to end the violence of security, blocked access and tion of Syrian children is at risk.” Durbin quoted one medical and jobs. in Syria and support vital humanitar- insufficient resources mean that He said more than 11,000 expert who had been examining As to how to keep the world’s ian assistance. “despite a massive mobilization children have been killed, includ- underweight refugee children: attention focused on long-run- of assistance and funding, inter- ing hundreds who have been shot “’We have a middle income ning conflicts and the needs they • Help innocent families affected by national aid has not reached 2.5 by snipers or summarily execut- country that is transforming itself generate, Levine repeated a story the violence in Syria by supporting million people inside Syria,” ed.