Inside State of the archdiocese Read the 2010 Accountability Report, pages 11-14. Serving the ChurchCriterion in Central and Souther n Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com March 18, 2011 Vol. LI, No. 23 75¢ Pope Benedict prays for victims ‘Evil is a reality’ of disaster in Archdiocesan Japan, sends aid exorcist has busy VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Saying that he, too, was horrified by images of the death and Hughes Submitted photo/Kent destruction caused by the earthquake and ministry helping tsunami in Japan, Pope Benedict XVI asked people to join him in praying for the victims. people restore “May the bereaved and injured be relationships comforted, and may the rescue workers be with God strengthened in their efforts to assist the By Sean Gallagher courageous Japanese people,” the pope said GREENWOOD—Like many priests in English on today, Father Vincent Lampert has his hands March 13 after full with his parish duties. reciting the Angelus As the pastor of SS. Francis and Clare of prayer with visitors at Assisi Parish in Greenwood, he looks to the Pope Benedict XVI St. Peter’s Square. many pastoral needs of his parishioners, who Government have more than doubled since his arrival officials estimated that perhaps 10,000 people there in 2003. lost their lives after the earthquake on His days and nights are often f illed with March 11 and the tsunami it triggered. celebrating Mass, working with the staff of Speaking in Italian after the Angelus, the his parish’s school, attending meetings, pope said, “The images of the tragic giving presentations at Bible studies, and earthquake and the consequent tsunami in visiting sick parishioners at hospitals and Japan have left us deeply horrified. nursing homes. “I want to renew my spiritual closeness to For the last six years, Father Lampert has that country’s dear people, who with dignity also ministered to people who believe they and courage are dealing with the are being tormented in some way by the consequences of the calamity. I pray for the devil or other evil spirits. victims and their families and for all who are Father Lampert is the exorcist of Father Vincent Lampert, the pastor of SS. Francis and Clare of Assisi Parish in Greenwood, poses suffering because of these terrible events. I the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, an on March 10 in his parish’s church. Since 2005, Father Lampert has also been the exorcist of the encourage all those who, with laudable speed, office to which he was appointed by Archdiocese of Indianapolis. In this ministry, he has ministered to people in central and are working to bring help. Let us remain Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein. southern Indiana and beyond. united in prayer.” Yet, he says, this relatively unusual The Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the ministry ultimately has the same goal as movie The Rite, which is based on the true and can be active in people’s lives in Vatican’s charity promotion and coordinating much of what he story of the training for the ministry of extraordinary ways. office, announced on March 14 that the pope Extraordinary does in his parish exorcism of Father Gary Thomas, the This belief, he said, is doubted by donated $100,000 to the relief efforts of the activities of the devil, from day to day. exorcist of the Diocese of San Jose, Calif. many people in society today, who question Japanese bishops’ conference. page 24. “[Exorcism] is Father Thomas and Father Lampert the existence of the devil or believe that “Obviously, material, concrete aid is one of the liturgical received this training together while both what might be described by some as necessary” to help the thousands who are rites of the Church,” Father Lampert said. priests were on sabbatical in Rome in 2005. demonic activity in a person is simply a suffering, Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo, a “The Church is in the business of helping The film is based on the book The Rite: mental illness. Cor Unum official, told Vatican Radio. “Also, people to be in a right relationship [with The Making of a Modern Exorcist by “I think that there are a lot of people who the bishops are the first responsible for God]. Sometimes we can’t do that on our Matt Baglio. Father Lampert was think that maybe exorcism is a throwback to charity in the diocese and they know the own. We need assistance. And that’s where interviewed by the author and quoted in the the Middle Ages,” Father Lampert said. needs of the people. the Church will step in and help book. “But lots of times, it’s because they don’t “The Church wants to be there not only in provide that.” The priests observed the ministry of an want to think about it. They don’t want to the short term, but especially in the long Although he has given public Italian priest who is an exorcist. think about the reality of evil or what that term” after “many of the secular agencies presentations on his ministry as an e xorcist Father Lampert said the ministry of means or entails. Evil is a reality, but that have gone and there’s no one to help,” over the years, it has gained more attention exorcists is based on the Church’s belief doesn’t mean that we should be afraid of it. ” he said. recently with the release in January of the that the devil and other evil spirits are real, See EXORCISM, page 23 See JAPAN, page 9 In new volume of book, Pope Benedict XVI pr esents Jesus as reconciler and not political revolutionary VATICAN CITY (CNS)—In his new volume on Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI presents the Passion and resurrection of Christ as history-changing events that answer humanity’s unceasing need to be reconciled with God. Haring CNS photo/Paul The 384-page book, titled Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week— From the Entrance Into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, was officially released on March 10. The pope had worked for several years on the text, the second in his series e xploring the main events of Jesus’ public ministry. The Vatican said 1.2 million copies of the book had already been published in seven languages, and that an e-book v ersion was also planned. In a foreword, the pope said he did not set out to write another chronological “Life of Jesus,” but instead to present the figure and message of “the real Jesus”—not a political revolutionary and not a mere moralist, b ut the Son of God who inaugurated a new path of salvation based on the power of love. Through his sacrifice on the cross and his institution of the Pope Benedict XVI’s new book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week—From the Entrance Church, Jesus carried out a universal mission—“leading the Into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, is displayed in several languages at the See BOOK, page 9 Vatican press office on March 10. Page 2 The Criterion Friday, March 18, 2011 WYD organizers expect more than 1 million in Madrid VATICAN CITY (CNS)—With 80 alternative songs had been more than 1 million Catholic uploaded to the contest site— youths expected to converge on http://madridmeencanta.org—and Madrid for World Youth Day in Rafael Rubio, the WYD director of World Catholic New August, organizers are busy communications, said the site making final had been visited more than 600,000 preparations, times by March 15. including the World Youth Day will be choice of new celebrated in Madrid on CNS photo/Karen Callaway, songs for the Aug. 16-21. With the event crowds to sing in five months away, organizers said addition to the more than 290,000 people already much-criticized had enrolled. official hymn. De la Cierva also said that in “The hymn is my nightmare,” previous World Youth Days, the Yago de la Cierva, the executive number of people signed up to director of WYD 2011, told participate officially in the full reporters at the Vatican on program represented only about 25 March 15. He was responding to a percent of the total number of Spanish journalist, who asked how people who came for the main they could have chosen what she events with the pope so WYD described as an awful song for the Madrid should draw well over 1 theme hymn. million people. De la Cierva said, “It’s very Briefing reporters about the beautiful for the type of music it preparations, he said the is, but maybe we made a mistake” Pontifical Council for the Laity had Teens from the Chicago Archdiocese sign a World Youth Day cross during a gathering in late February at St. Aloysius Parish in choosing the genre. Once it asked that the event be identifiably in Chicago. Youths are preparing to converge on Madrid, Spain, for the international World Youth Day gathering in August. became clear that the song was not Spanish, “not something like a popular, especially in Spain, WYD Starbucks, which is the same And “there will be many events reflect the Spanish reality in its gathering’s impact on the launched an international contest wherever you go. late at night. We Spaniards eat budget, he said. Because of the environment. They are encouraging for other song suggestions, he said. “This will be a Spanish fiesta,” dinner at about 10 [p.m.], and we economic crisis in Spain, event pilgrims to walk, ride bikes or take “The hymn was written to help he said. don’t go to bed before midnight,” organizers are committed to public transportation to events, and people pray before the Eucharist.