Defenders of Life
The North American cardinals confront a paradox: amid great wealth and the promise of wealth, a "culture of death" has taken root. Their tasknow is to speak for life

April 16, 1996 marked a watershed in the history of the Catholic Church in America. On that day, the eight active U.S. cardinals, together with the president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, sent a letter to U.S. President Bill Clinton, sharply rebuking him for vetoing legislation a week earlier that would have banned "partial birth abortions" in America. As the cardinals told Clinton: "Writing this response to you in unison is, on our part, virtually unprecedented. It will, we hope, underscore our resolve to be unremitting and unambiguous in our defense of human life."

The cardinals have never before spoken with such clarity and courage in the face of a culture that tends to mock all who criticize its excesses. But the circumstances were unprecedented, for Clinton had chosen to defend abortion even in that extreme case when it is only moments, and inches, from direct infanticide, something regarded in all societies as murder. The position of the president, and of the "death industry" which stands behind him, could not have been more inimical to life. As the cardinals wrote: "Your veto of this bill is beyond comprehension for those who hold human life sacred. It will ensure the continued use of the most heinous act to kill any infant just seconds from taking his or her first breath outside the womb."

The cardinals’ action was not "virtually unprecedented." It was unprecedented, and it made clear once and for all that the battle lines are clearly drawn in the escalating war between the "culture of life" and the "culture of death" which has become the key theme of Pope John Paul II’s pontificate. On one side stand those, like the cardinals, who oppose abortion and euthanasia out of a conviction that human life has dignity, that human life is sacred, that the right to life is inviolable; on the other hand stand those who support abortion and, increasingly, euthanasia, and are persuaded that the right of human beings to life is not inviolable, that it is limited, that human beings can be killed with impunity under a range of circumstances.
The unprecedented letter, which created a storm of media attention, was signed by Cardinals Joseph Bernardin of Chicago, James Hickey of Washington, Bernard Law of Boston, Adam Maida of Detroit, Anthony Bevilacqua of Philadelphia, William Keeler of Baltimore, Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, John O’Connor of New York, as well as by Bishop Anthony Pilla of Cleveland.

Who are these men? For the book, each of the cardinals was asked to speak briefly about his religious vocation, his family background, his cardinal’s motto and coat-of-arms, and his general concerns and hopes for the Church and the world as the year 2000 draws hear. We are unfortunately unable at this time to include interviews with Cardinals Carberry (St. Louis), Baum (Rome), O’Connor (New York) and Mahony (Los Angeles), or with the Canadian cardinals Vachon (Quebec), Carter (Toronto), Gagnon (Rome) and Turcotte (Montreal).

"The 20th century has been a century of wars and of genocide. Many of these wars have involved Christians and Catholics; unfortunately, there is a discrepancy between the faith as it is professed and as it is lived. Too often we are Christians on Sunday and we act like pagans the rest of the week.
"It has been precisely this lack of coherence between life and faith that has been the cause of these terrible disasters of our century. We must never forget that the greatest of God’s commandments is ‘love your neighbor.’
"Fortunately, however, there are signs of hope which allow us to look to the future with optimism. These signs are, first of, those young people who want to live their lives according to the Gospel. In my diocese, I see very many young people who are disillusioned with our hedonistic, licentious, consumer society. This disillusionment causes some to become depressed even to the point of suicide. But, just as in past years the young people who rejected communism turned to the Church, so now young people understand that the world does not offer them true, long-lasting happiness. And they return to the spiritual life.
"In the United States we have more than 1,500 different religious denominations. Of these, the Catholic Church is the largest. As in so many Western countries, however, Sunday Mass attendance is not very high: only about one-third of the faithful regularly attend Mass on Sunday. For this reason, in light of the coming Jubilee of the year 2000, in all of our dioceses we are undertaking a program of spiritual renewal. I hope we will be able to see the signs of this new evangelization already at the beginning of the Third Millennium."

"My vocation to the priesthood came in a very simple and natural way: I was born into a profoundly Catholic family. My parents thought very highly of the Church; my mother attended daily Mass. In addition, I had the good fortune to meet a wonderful nun who, though she never pushed me to become a priest, made me think about it. My parish priest also helped me to discover my vocation.

"I was ordained in 1946 and in 1947 I arrived in Rome to continue my studies. When I returned to the United States, I first was named rector of the diocesan seminary, then auxiliary bishop. In 1969 I returned to Italy to become the rector of the North American College. I stayed in Rome for five years, then was named the bishop of Cleveland. I expected that I, like all of my predecessors, would stay in Cleveland until I turned 75. But the Holy Father wanted me to become the archbishop of Washington.

"I think the ecumenical movement has been one area where great progress has been made. Many misunderstandings have been clarified. The source of Christian unity is Jesus Christ. With the Orthodox Church, we have much in common, above all the centrality of Christ in the life of the Church. Now we need to get to know one another better.

"With regard to the Protestants, we are praying we will be able to see the Lord in the same light, that is, as the Master who gave to Peter the task of teaching and guiding His Church. But there remain differences on moral questions. We teach that life begins at the moment of conception and, because it is sacred, must be protected up until natural death. It is very difficult to discuss this with someone of a differing viewpoint. Often, out of a sort of cultural imperialism, they want to impose their pro-abortion and contraceptive mentality (with particular emphasis on sterilization and euthanasia) on other countries where there still exists a profound respect for life and for the family.

"My motto is Veritatem in caritate, truth in love. I have tried to carry it out by facing all problems honestly, teaching the truth, being tolerant, always telling the difference between what is right and what is wrong. I always tell my priests they must teach according to the magisterium, that people don’t need theological theories but the truth transmitted with love."

"My dicastery, the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See, has many responsibilities. We could say that it is a general accounting office. At the end of the fiscal year, it is our job to examine the financial status of all of the offices of the Holy See and to draw up a consolidated balance sheet. This means that we have to examine the balance sheets of each of the separate entities, of the entire Church administration. Each balance sheet must be approved by us, and, definitively, by the Holy Father, who, before he gives that approval, consults us in every case.

"The Vatican, contrary to what many think, is not rich. From the point of view of accounting, however, we must be more precise. The Vatican and the Holy See are not the same thing. When I speak of the consolidated balance sheet of the Holy See, I am not referring to the Vatican City State. I am including, on the other hand, all the administration related to the carrying out of the ministry of the Holy Father.

"There are seven separate administrative offices, four ‘businesses’ (Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican Press and the Vatican Bookstore), and, in addition, the entire Curia. But this balance sheet does not include the Vatican State, does not include St. Peter’s Basilica, does not include other offices which have an independent function. In effect, these last offices do not have financial problems. They don’t have large profits, but they are not operating in the red either.

The Holy See, on the other hand, has an operating deficit accumulated over 22 years, and this means that the Holy Father, to cover the deficit, has to use money that could have been spent for other purposes. The biggest contributors to the deficit are those activities carried out in connection with the Pope’s mission (the radio, the newspaper). These were not set up to produce revenues; they must therefore be supported from other sources.
Once upon a time that support came from the revenues generated by the Patrimony of the Holy See but, since 1907, those revenues have had to be supplemented by contributions from foundations, Catholic groups and from the dioceses. With the increase in these contributions, in 1993, for the first time in 23 years, we were finally able to no longer operate at a deficit.

"I enjoy my work, though taking on a desk job was a big change for me, all the more so because I really loved pastoral work. But this, too, is an important job, and someone has to do it. The Holy Father asked me to do it, and for me this means that God wants me to do it. That’s why I’m here.

"My father was born in Bielorussia. He was Polish, but in Bielorussia there are many families of Polish origin. In the 16th century, the eastern frontier of Poland was beyond Smolensk. And even after the frontiers changed, many families stayed where they were. My mother was born in the United States, but both of her parents came to America from Poland. So I am 100 percent Polish. I visited the places of my family roots in 1991. It was a very meaningful trip for me; I even celebrated Mass in the parish church of Indura. I have also visited Poland many times. I am an old friend of Cardinal Glemp. When we were young priests we studied together in Rome, and we’ve remained close friends since that time."

"The history of the 20th century is characterized by a series of positive events, on the one hand, and of tremendous horrors, on the other. We can look at it on two levels: that of the great events and changes and that, more individual, of the lives of men and women who strove to give a meaning to their gives, of the saints who in all times have given witness to their faith and have given hope to the rest of us.
"I have visited Auschwitz, Eastern Europe before 1989, Cuba, Vietnam, and I have followed closely the recent events in Rwanda and Bosnia: it takes so little for man to forget the Truth, and with the Truth a sense of solidarity! It is to that Truth that the Church is called to give a clear witness in the communion of life in God.

"In my country, a primordial evil, abortion, shows how easy it is to forget the inviolable right of every person to life. The breakdown of family life around us puts our entire society in danger. But I have hope that the younger generation, seeing the errors of this century, will feel more profoundly the need to safeguard the dignity of every person, the sacredness of the family and the work of human solidarity.

"Every Christian is called to see in Jesus Christ the model for living. The Lord reveals to us what it means to be human, what it means to be fully human. The saints have always known this, but also those uncanonized saints who have had and continue to have a great influence on my life: St. Benedict, St. Augustine, St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Charles Borromeo, and today John Paul II and Mother Teresa of Calcutta."

"The Church at the end of the 20th century faces many challenges, but the greatest one is also our perennial mission: to proclaim the Good News of Christ. Modern men and women, particularly in the West, will not accept having something imposed on them; they want to understand. For this reason, our challenge is to proclaim the Gospels’ truths in such a way that they will be accepted by modern man. To accomplish this, we also need to learn how to use the modern means of mass communications. These are often criticized as obstacles to the Church’s mission. In reality, there are tremendous possibilities to use them precisely for evangelization. Indeed, even John Paul II has recognized the importance of the media, and uses the media. All of us, therefore, should learn to make use of them in a constructive way, transmitting through them messages of peace and not of violence.
"America is a melting pot of different races and cultures. For this reason, the Catholic Church in America is a type of miniature of the universal Church. I am referring in particular to the diocese of Chicago, where every week-end we celebrate the liturgy in 20 different languages. This diversity, which is our wealth, gives us a perspective on the Church and the world that is quite unique. It can also cause problems: it is sometimes difficult to keep persons from such different cultures united. Our society is also a multi-religious one. We must avoid syncretism, and this requires solid catechesis, a clear explanation of what the church is. It is extremely important to teach the people what is essential in the faith and what is not. The Church must be united on basic principles."
"My motto is ‘Like One Who Serves’: all my life I have tried to serve the Church and the People of God. Reading the documents of Vatican II I came across that phrase of St. Paul and I chose it for my motto because I had always perceived my priestly ministry as one of service. For this reason, the image of Jesus the Good Shepherd has always been extremely important for me. As a bishop, I feel I am also a shepherd, a spiritual guide for all those who are entrusted to me.

"My parents come from Poland. I was born in the United States and am an American of the first generation. I grew up in a small town not far from Pittsburgh. My vocation to the priesthood sprang naturally from my family: I am very grateful to my parents, who were simple people, for giving me a wonderful, happy childhood. As a young priest, I worked in a parish in my town. Then I continued my studies in Rome. Now, thinking back over the years that have gone by, I can see that my life as a priest has been, and still is, peaceful, as was my childhood in my family.

"By nature I am an optimist, a great optimist, because, with God’s help, everything is possible. Jesus came to save the world; w, as his priests, must bring to the world life, goodness, peace and justice. We work in the world for the world’s salvation. Where there was sin and death, we bring life. I am also optimistic about the future of the Church, because it is Jesus himself who guides her. In the history of the Church there have been difficult moments, as there were in Jesus’ life, a life of poverty and, in a certain way, a life of suffering. The life of the Church is a pilgrimage: we are all traveling toward the Kingdom of God. It doesn’t matter what problems we face because, in spite of everything, we live in the great hope brought by Jesus.

"When I came to Rome to become a cardinal, I thought of the Apostles Peter and Paul. They came to imperial Rome, where no one knew Christ and the true faith. They preached the Gospel, gave witness to the truth of Christ, and soon they had many disciples. How dynamic this process of conversion was in the first centuries can be seen today by the fact that there are some 1 billion Christians in the world. If we continue to preach the Word of God and to live according to the example of christ, other people will come to know the Lord and will live in his love. Therefore, the world in the Third Millennium may be a little bit better.

"My coat-of-arms is composed of a ray of sunshine, symbol of the creation; a cross, a dove, symbol of the Holy Spirit; and by the coat-of-arms of the state of Michigan, where my diocese is. My motto is: Facere omnia nova, Make all things new. In this vision, all things, one day, will be new, beautiful. This is our hope and the sign of justice: we move forward toward the Kingdom where everything will be new, through the grace of God. Christ also makes everything new, makes our lives new."

"The primary task of a bishop is to announce and spread the Gospel of Christ. He can do this not only by preaching and organizing conferences, but also by using the modern means of communication, through which one can reach a very large number of people. When the Pope’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae was published, I gave a number of interviews and has many contacts with the mass media. For me, this too is a work of evangelization.
"I believe that to re-evangelize Catholics, who in the most recent decades have become disinterested in the religion, is one of the greatest challenges for the Church today. American Catholics have abandoned religious practice above all because of erroneous interpretations of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. This confusion in society and in the Church has influenced the education of the young quite negatively.

"The Holy Father teaches us how to be evangelizers in collaboration with the younger generation. The experience of the encounter with the young people at Denver had a great positive impact throughout the US. For example, young American Catholic have discovered pilgrimage, which was almost unknown in our country. Today, in many dioceses, pilgrimages are being organized. This year, for the second time, for Palm Sunday, more than 600 young people walked with me through the streets of Baltimore with a cross, stopping where we had set up the Stations of the Cross.

"We must do everything we can to give a good eduction to young Catholics. They cannot always count on their parents, who are not prepared for this task. We must teach them the doctrine of the Church, but also form their spirituality. I must emphasize that there is a tremendous response from the young. I offer meet with young people and ask them what they expect from the church. ‘The most important thing is to receive the true teaching of Jesus Christ,’ they reply. Here we see the importance of the New Catechism. All the bishops and priests here in America encourage the faithful to read it. But we have also set in motion a series of initiatives to publish books of catechesis to instruct the people.

"Since the 1980s, I have greatly involved in the dialogue with our Jewish friends. They appreciate the commitment of the Catholic Church to put into practice the conciliar document Nostra Aetate and, above all, the teaching in Catholic schools on the role of the Jews in the history of salvation. However, it must be stressed that there are differing opinions and attitudes in the Jewish community with regard to Christianity. From time to time we even here voices opposed to the Catholic church, but these are the opinions of individuals and do not represent the thought of the Jewish community as a whole. Talking with Jews, I often find myself clearing up the same misunderstanding from their side, that is, that the members of the Catholic Church have a certain freedom of expression.

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