Inside Archbishop Buechlein . 4, 5 Editorial . 4 Question Corner . 17 The Sunday & Daily Readings. 17 Serving the CChurchCriterion in Centralr andi Southert n Indianae Since 1960rion www.archindy.org April 19, 2002 Vol. XXXXI, No. 13 50¢ U.S. Church leaders to meet in Rome on clergy sex abuse crisis WASHINGTON (CNS)—The clergy In a faxed letter to all his priests the pope was especially concerned with sex abuse crisis in the U.S. Catholic April 12, Cardinal Law said he did not the spirit of U.S. Catholics in the face of Church took a new turn April 15 when it intend to resign, but many observers did the scandals, which have rocked the was revealed that the Vatican scheduled a not take the letter as a final word on the Boston Archdiocese and much of the Rome summit on the issue with U.S. cardi- topic. The Boston Globe, the city’s lead- nation for the past three months. Wiechec Nancy CNS photo by nals and top officers of the bishops’ confer- ing daily, issued a second editorial call for Interviewed in Rome April 13, Bishop ence. the cardinal’s resignation April 14. Gregory said one of the key policy issues They were to be in Rome April 22-25 Meanwhile, Bishop Wilton D. Gregory the U.S. bishops have yet to resolve is the to meet with Pope John Paul II and top of Belleville, Ill., president of the U.S. question of reassignment of priests who Vatican officials. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told have committed sexual abuse. The bish- The summit was called as Cardinal Catholic News Service at the end of a week ops “are not all on the same page” on that Bernard F. Law of Boston faced new calls of meetings in Rome that the pope “assured issue, he said, but he suspected there was In a letter to priests dated April 12, Boston to resign because of a loss of trust over us of his willingness and desire to assist us growing sentiment toward permanently Cardinal Bernard F. Law said he will continue to his past reassignment of priests accused in any way we find necessary.” removing such priests from all forms of serve as archbishop of Boston “as long as God of sexual abuse of minors. He said that at a working lunch April 9 See ABUSE, page 2 gives me the opportunity.” Parishes and Faith and hard work help two schools receive Indianapolis boys become Eagle Scouts Home Mission By Brandon A. Evans Fund grants Once an Eagle Scout, always an Eagle Scout. By Brandon A. Evans Twins Scott and Aaron Strother, 16, Wyand MaryPhoto by Ann parishioners at St. Jude Parish in Four parishes and six schools in the Indianapolis, have sought the highest rank archdiocese have received several thou- in the Boy Scouts for seven years, and sand dollars each in grants from the having reached it understand that it is St. Francis Xavier Home Mission Fund. something that cannot be taken away. The $60,000 that was awarded has its Scott and Aaron had this level of source in the United Catholic Appeal leadership and responsibility bestowed and is intended for any parish or school upon them during a Mass on April 14 at that has a need for it. St. Jude Church. Each parish in the archdiocese has a According to Phil Sturm, scoutmaster specific goal for the United Catholic of Boy Scout Troop 108 in Indianapolis Appeal based on the amounts of money and a member of Holy Name Parish in they receive from Sunday and holy day Beech Grove, there are no ex-Eagle collections. Whenever a parish exceeds Scouts. An Eagle Scout is expected to live their United Catholic Appeal goal, they up to the ideals and principles of Scouting can choose to direct some of the money for the rest of his life. raised to the St. Francis Xavier Home Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein said Mission Fund. that to achieve such a rank takes disci- The money in the fund is then given pline, skill and character. Like Catholi- to parishes in need. This happens twice cism, Scouting seeks to build virtue. each fiscal year. “What I like about these two gentle- The first allocation, made last sum- men is that for them this achievement mer, saw $236,000 given to seven speaks very much to their faith,” he said. Scott (left) and Aaron Strother bring up the gifts at a Mass at St. Jude Parish in Indianapolis after parishes and one school in the archdio- The archbishop is an Eagle Scout— receiving the rank of Eagle Scout. The brothers are followed by their grandparents, Bob and Ellen cese. something he became at about the same Strother, who have been Scott and Aaron’s legal guardians after their mother’s death more than a Nearly two-thirds of this second allo- age as the Strother twins, except at that decade ago. The boys are sophomores at Southport High School in Indianapolis and have been cation—which is intended to deal with time he was a seminarian. involved in scouting for about seven years. short-term and unexpected needs—went “[Scouting] was the vehicle in which to schools outside of Indianapolis. I could experiment with my leadership St. Paul School in New Alsace abilities,” he said. “It taught me to play “I’d have to say that it took a lot of part of their official Eagle Scout cere- received $10,000 to help the school fair in the arena of life.” time and faith to believe that I could do mony during a Mass on April 14. See GRANTS, page 7 Faith and God are important to Scott this,” Scott said. It was there that they received their and Aaron. Aaron said that from the Not only did the two Scouts present Eagle Scout ribbon, patch and badge. very beginning he prayed to God to the gifts at the archdiocesan Chrism Mass They also lit a series of candles and make it to the Eagle Scout rank. on March 26 in uniform, they also had See SCOUTS, page 14 Mexican bishops discuss expanding rights MEXICO CITY (CNS)—Mexican aggressively secular Mexican state. an attempt to gain undue influence. bishops discussed expanding religious Among the reforms were the normaliza- “I want to say to the enemies of the rights when they met for five days outside tion of Mexico’s relations with the Church and to the members of other Mexico City in early April. Vatican after a 125-year break, the go- faiths that they should not be frightened. The assembly, held in Cuautitlan ahead for private religious education, and We are defending the rights of everyone,” Izcalli, focused on the bishops’ request the formal recognition of the right of said the bishop, whose Chiapas diocese for religious education in public schools priests to celebrate Mass in public. has seen religious tension between if students’ parents ask for it. The bishops “The 1992 reforms made Mexico a Catholics and Protestants. also seek permission for religious control more civilized country,” said Archbishop However, many Church observers said of radio and TV stations and the right to Alberto Suarez Inda of Morelia at the there was little support among the general carry out religious services within the beginning of the meeting. “But they are public for such changes. Despite mes- military. certainly perfectible.” sages of support from small conservative The discussions were carried out in the Bishop Felipe Arizmendi Esquivel of religious groups, the bishops’ assembly’s context of the 10th anniversary of consti- San Cristobal de Las Casas stressed that attempt to spur debate failed to prompt a tutional reforms that marked a major the desire to have religious education in public reaction. move forward for the Church within the state schools should not be interpreted as See MEXICO, page 2 Page 2 The Criterion Friday, April 19, 2002 ABUSE continued from page 1 CNS photo by Lisa Kessler CNS photo by public ministry. In a brief exchange two days later with CNS in Washington, he confirmed that the then-not-yet-announced summit in Rome was being called to address the issue of clergy sexual abuse. The steady spread of the scandal beyond the Boston area continued in the first half of April. More bishops removed priests from posts while reassessing past sex abuse allegations against them. More prosecutors began asking dioceses for their records of past allegations. And hun- dreds of individuals came forward with new allegations that they had been sexu- ally abused by a priest as a child. In California, Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony was cleared by police of an allegation by a woman with a his- tory of mental illness that the cardinal may have molested her more than 30 years ago when she was in high school in Fresno. The claim about an alleged inci- dent at the school was vague and police said interviews with former staff and stu- dents produced nothing to substantiate it. Donna M. Morrissey (right), spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Boston, faces the media at a press conference in Boston on April 12. Morrissey released Cardinal Mahony denied ever molesting Cardinal Bernard F. Law’s letter stating his intention to remain archbishop of Boston despite growing criticism over his handling of priests accused of anyone. sexual abuse in the Boston Archdiocese. New York Cardinal Edward M. Egan, former bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., came under new fire in mid-April over his han- Bridgeport’s daily newspaper, said cases within his jurisdiction.