December 28, 2007 - Issue #26
Local News | Opinion/Editorials | Letters to the Editor
Local News
Open adoptions lead to life
Extended family: Adoptive kids keep relationships with biological parents
Patrick Scanlon, his sister Katie and their two parents are a tight-knit clan, a Rockefeller portrait of the American dream, at least on the surface.
But the Scanlons and their extended family are anything but ordinary.
Tom and his wife Vicki wanted to raise a family, but were unable to do so biologically, so they looked at the idea of adoption.
They eventually wound up at CSS to explore options.
"We put together a portfolio with photos and a letter to the birth mother," Vicki said.
The portfolio, especially the part about a willingness to have an open adoption piqued the interest of 17-year old Shannon and her boyfriend John (last names withheld) who eventually chose the Scanlons as the couple to adopt their daughter Katie.
During the adoption process, the two couples learned more about each other and forged a relationship.
"We got to know the couple well. They even stayed at our house toward the end of the pregnancy," Vickie said. "They lived out in the (Mat-Su) Valley and we lived close to Providence."
As the relationship grew, the two families agreed to an open adoption — where Shannon and John would still be able to play a role in their biological daughter’s life.
A year later, when Scanlons adopted their son Patrick, they formed a similar relationship with his biological life, whereby they, too, would be involved with their biological son’s life.
"Jesse (Patrick’s biological mom) called at Thanksgiving to talk to Patrick. They talk on holidays," Vicki explained.
"But it’s more than that," Tom said. "They have a relationship that extends beyond just the holidays."
The Scanlons say both of their children’s biological parents visit and make regular phone calls.
Some might ask the question, if the biological parents are so involved, why didn’t they keep the child?
Vicki said her children know their parents made one of the toughest choices in the world, out of love.
"They recognize and see the more practical part of it, that their parents were looking out for their best interests," she said.
"It’s crucial to point out that these women are making this choice out of love," said Karen Lee, Director of pregnancy Support and Adoption Services at CSS.
"They realize that they can’t, for whatever reason, provide for the best interests of the child," she told the Anchor. About 20 women a year make the decision to place their child with adoptive parents through CSS, she added.
Vicki said she could see the hand of God during the adoption, especially after Patrick and Katie entered their lives.
"We go through life and then this gift is given to you," she said. "I probably never felt as close to God as I did when they were born."
Vicki said faith is crucial for both adoptive parents and the birth parents.
"Some (prospective adoptive families) want children so badly they forget that it’s a gift from the birth parents and ultimately from God," she said.
Vicki and Tom learned that lesson early on, when the first adoption they looked into fell through when the birth mother made the decision to keep her child.
It was hard and painful but ultimately God’s will, she said. Soon afterwards, Katie and her birth parents came into the Scanlon’s life.
While the Scanlon’s open adoption arrangement worked out, they know it is not the only option.
"I’ve gone into the adoption workshops at CSS and shared our experiences," Tom said. "It is not a case of telling people what to do, but sharing experiences."
Open adoptions are up to the parties involved with the adoptive parents having the final say, Lee said.
"CSS and the Catholic Church are supportive helping with the options to make sure everyone is comfortable," Vicki said. It is important, she added, that the greater community be supportive of birth parents who make the brave choice to carry a child to term.
"They are doing one of the hardest things in the world but the alternative is not a good one," Vicki explained. "Especially if it’s a young woman at 16 or 17 years old — they might consider something we wouldn’t want them to do."
Support and just knowing the options is the best way the larger community can promote a pro-life option, Vickie added.
That became crystal clear to Vicki in one particular interaction with her daughter.
"Katie once came to me and said, ‘Mom, I’m so happy to be alive.’ That’s when the light bulb went on, what would have happened if…I can’t imagine life without them," she said.
For more information about adoption at CSS log on to their Web site at or cal (907) 276-5590.
Abundant sacraments
Homer Catholics have celebrated more Masses in the last few weeks than they normally see for months on end. For the first time in about a decade, the Kenai Peninsula communities are noticing a new reality of regular priests, more Masses and greater opportunities for sacramental life.
In the past, Friday night gatherings at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church were a bit unusual for a couple of reasons. To begin with, there wasn’t usually a Friday night service at all. Secondly, if there was a service, such as during Lent, it likely wasn’t a Mass and didn’t include the services of a priest.
But things have changed lately. Earlier this month, Father Tony Dummer, OMI, arrived from Soldotna on a Friday and stayed till Tuesday. During that time, he celebrated Mass everyday. That’s the new routine. Each week, one of three new priests on the Kenai Peninsula rotate in for a five-day stay.
The three priests from the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate are part of a new mission on the Kenai that aims to provide greater sacramental and pastoral care to the area’s Catholic communities.
"I think this is great," said Sister Carol Ann Aldrich, who has run St. John’s for more than a decade on her own with only occasional visits from traveling priests. The lack of regular priests in the past meant that Sister Aldrich had to take on many extra duties.
"I am really happy about it," she said, of the arrival of the new clergy.
To serve three communities, Sister Carol Ann used to get up early on Sunday mornings, and drive to Ninilchik, no matter the weather. The twisty 40-mile stretch of road glazes with ice as it ascends and descends ocean-side bluffs and frequently clouds in blizzard conditions. Then, she would get back on the road after a 9 a.m. Communion service, and head for Homer for the 11:30 a.m. service. At 2 p.m., she used to fly to Seldovia.
But times are different now.
Father Tony is joined by fellow Oblate priests, Fathers Andy Sensenig from Massachusetts and Joe Dowling from Texas. Oblate Brother Craig Bonham will assist in the spiritual needs and outreach of the western Peninsula.
This is an opportunity to better serve the Catholic population, Father Tony said. By offering more Mass times, the church is better able to serve more people. In Homer, the Monday and Tuesday morning Masses were added to make it possible for the elderly and others to attend church during daylight hours. New hours are also being posted in Soldotna, Ninilchik and Kenai.
The Western Peninsula — from Soldotna south to Homer — has about 50,000 people. An estimated 20 percent of those are Catholics, some devout and others who have gradually drifted from the faith.
"This is a chance to find these people and serve their needs. We want people to know we are here for them," Father Tony said.
In one such effort, they arranged a special Hispanic Mass celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day Dec. 12, in Spanish.
Beth Pullen, a long-time St. John parishioner, said she has already noticed some differences in having a priest. "Though I really liked the way Sister Carol Ann ran things, I think this is more traditional."
At age 24, she grew up in the church, which means that for much of her life it’s been Sister Carol Ann rather than a priest helping her with her faith.
One of the more important tasks is to make sure parishioners get to know their priests, Father Dummer said. Familiarity is important when a priest is called upon to anoint the sick, visit the homebound and perform baptism and funeral services, he added.
"We decided that it is most important for them to get to know us, so they feel comfortable," Father Dummer said. "It’s hard on people when they don’t know us."
The new priests welcome invitations to parishioners’ homes for dinner. Church socials can only go so far in fostering genuine relationships between priests and parishioners. Being able to visit each family in a more leisurely way is one of the priests’ goals, Father Dummer said.
Founded in 1816 by St. Eugene de Mazenod, a French nobleman, the Oblates go where people’s needs are greatest. In Alaska, they were asked to go to the Peninsula and serve three-year terms in order to fill a severe priest shortage. The 4,500 Missionary Oblates reach out to the poor in the U.S. and 70 other countries worldwide as specialists in some of the world’s most difficult missions.
As for what he hopes parishioners come to learn about him, Father Dummer said he has a simple agenda.
"I want to help people to enflesh the Gospel, to make it real so God’s presence and the forgiveness of Jesus are in their lives," he said.
Nigerian Catholics find touch of home country in Anchorage
An extended Nigerian Catholic family, which now calls Anchorage home, has found similarities between Alaska and their old stomping grounds in Western Africa.
Both places are bigger than Texas, for example and both are influenced by oil wealth tapped in the 1970s.
But Beatrice Oraeki, who along with her husband Lawrence, moved to Anchorage last year to live with their daughter, son-in-law, and four grandchildren, finds several similarities that might surprise Americans.
Despite vast cultural and geographical differences, Beatrice sees parallels between St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Anchorage and her old parish in the Archdiocese of Kuduna in North Central Nigeria.
"When I came here and saw it, I knew this was it," she said. "This was home."
Their parish in Nigeria is a bit unusual in that, like St. Elizabeth’s, it contains parishioners who are well-educated and middle class. Like St. Elizabeth’s, it also encompasses diverse nationalities and people who travel a great deal. In Beatrice’s words, both parishes are "cosmopolitan."
If those parallels are surprising, it may be because most Americans have a view of Africa that is heavily influenced by National Geographic pictures or calendars from relief agencies. The real face of Africa, and of its most populous nation, Nigeria, is a much more complex social and cultural mix.
Lawrence and Beatrice Oraeki were born into Catholic families and educated in Nigeria. Lawrence taught high school geography, and later taught at the military academy in Kaduna. Beatrice traveled throughout Nigeria, training teachers with the National Teachers Institute.
Meanwhile, the couple raised five children, three of whom live in Nigeria. One is deceased. The fifth, Beatrice, came to the U.S. in 1996 to be with her husband, John Egbejimba, who was teaching at the University of Washington. Later, Egbejimba, also a Nigerian native, became employed in the oil industry, which brought his family to Anchorage.
After the Oraekis retired, they accepted an invitation to join the Egbejimbas in March of 2006.
John Egbejimba points out that the Oraekis’ parish was similar to "maybe ten percent of the Catholic parishes in Nigeria." The rest could be termed more traditional. For example, said Egbejimba, many churches require women to wear head coverings.
And a marked different between Mass in Nigeria and in Anchorage is the offertory. No basket is passed in Nigeria. Instead, said Egbejimba, Nigerians process forward with money or the fruits of their agricultural labor. Some might even bring chickens – but if you’re offering a cow, you’ll just bring a symbolic rope, he laughed.
One thing Egbejimba misses about the offertory in Nigeria is the music — very lively and festive, he said. "Think of a New Orleans jazz band."
Beatrice Oraeki also pointed out that while members of the congregation in Anchorage may sit at certain times, her family will always remain standing until the priest sits down – it’s courtesy, she said.
She and her family also happen to be among the most dressed-up members of the congregation on any given Sunday at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
Nigeria was granted independence from Britain in 1960 and English is the official language, but an estimated 250 indigenous languages are also spoken. The Mass is offered in many of those. Although only the 14th largest country in Africa in terms of landmass, Nigeria is the most populous with close to 150 million people.
Lawrence Oraeki credits the Irish with bringing the church — and Western education — to Nigeria. The British, he said, were concerned with "power and administration," but the Irish sent the priests and founded the schools.
"For many years, it was compulsory to pass a religion test to get a diploma."
Oraeki was closely involved with the Nigerian church, heading up the Laity Council for the Archdiocese of Kaduna, and preaching the faith whenever he had the opportunity. He has a nephew recently ordained a Jesuit, and a son who has taken up lay leadership much like his father.
Today, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website, Nigeria leads the world in numbers of major seminarians and novices. There are over 20 million Catholics in 50 dioceses. Forty-five percent of the population is Christian with approximately 40 percent Muslim, and 15 percent from traditional religions.
"Nigerians are very much religious people," Beatrice Oraeki said, "no matter what religion they embrace."
David Loyn of the British Broadcasting Corporation corroborates this view: "Ninety per cent of Nigerians regularly attend a place of worship making it possibly the most religious country in the world."
After independence, Nigeria suffered through military dictatorships, and saw much of their oil wealth dissipated, but since 1999 they have had free elections.The Oraekis are happy in Anchorage and plan to stay. Lawrence Oraeki has adapted well to the Alaskan climate, but for his wife, the long darkness is challenging. And during the summer, "when everyone else was asleep, I was awake," she laughed.
News & Notes
Martyrs book now in English
The book, "Martyrs of Magadan: Memories of the Gulag," compiled by Father Michael Shields is now available in English. The book takes a look at the stories and memories of those who spent time in Joseph Stalin’s prison camps. Two victims’ stories are told in their own words on the Web site www.MagadanCatholic.org.
The book is available for a donation of $15. To order call 1-80-638-6333, visit the Web site (click on the projects link) or send your donation and shipping information to Need, 725 Leonard Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384.
New Byzantine bishop appointed
VATICAN CITY (CNA) — The Vatican announced Dec. 6 the appointment of two Ruthenian bishops in the United States: Bishop William Skurla and Msgr. Gerald Dino.
Ruthenian Catholics, under the Byzantine Eastern Rite, come from the region of present-day Slovakia and Ukraine, and came into communion with Rome in 1646.
Bishop William C. Skurla of the eparchy of Van Nuys will shepherd the eparchy of Passaic.
Bishop Skurla was appointed as the third bishop of Van Nuys, which includes St. Nicholas of Myra Byzantine church in Anchorage. He will succeed Bishop Andrew Pataki who recently resigned.
Msgr. Gerald N. Dino has been appointed as the head of the eparchy of Van Nuys.
Prayer service for abortion victims
The Knights of Columbus Statewide Interdenominational Prayer Service for all those touched by abortion will take place on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008, at 2 p.m. The event will be at the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery on 9th Ave and Cordova Street. For more information, contact James or Ann Curro at (907)-349-3772 or email pbear1@gci.net.
Tickets to see the pope in New York
Catholic officials in the U.S. continue to prepare for the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI. Currently, dioceses across the country are being asked to see how many people are interested in attending the Solemn Pontifical Mass at Yankee Stadium on April 20, 2008. Those interested in attending this event may contact Mary Gore at the Anchorage Archdiocese Chancery at (907) 297-7755. The archdiocese needs to submit numbers of interested people to Washington by Jan. 1, 2008. Those who attend the papal Mass will also need to be cleared by the U.S. Secret Service in February.
Truth Pursuit starts
The 2007-2008 Truth Pursuit Season kicked off last month with the annual showdown between Lumen Christi High School and Holy Rosary Academy, with Lumen Christi taking the victory. Parishes are invited to start putting together teams for the parish showdown Feb. 2, 2008 at Lumen Christi High School in Anchorage for the seventh annual event. "Defending champions from Soldotna are looking for a three-peat this year," organizer Bob McMorrow said. Materials should be available at local churches for youth to study, he said. For additional information, email McMorrow at rmcmorrow2@aol.com.
Funeral Policy at Holy Spirit Center
The College of Consultors for the Anchorage Archdiocese recently reiterated the funeral policy for funerals held at the Resurrection Chapel at the Holy Spirit Center in Anchorage.
"In the case of a Catholic who is a parishioner within the Archdiocese, the expectation is that the family will have already been in touch with the pastor/parish director at the family’s parish," the policy states. "If the pastor/parish director has not been notified, the staff at Holy Spirit will work with the person making the request so that the pastor/parish director is notified of the person’s intention so that the Holy Spirit Center and the parish are working in concert on a suitable arrangement for the family."
Further, if the family of a parishioner requests that a priest at the Holy Spirit Center conduct the service, the center’s staff will first consult with the priest/parish director. For more information about funerals at Holy Spirit Center call (907) 346-2343.
Columns
We affirm true life at Christmas
Rachel labored in peril to deliver the last son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham. They buried her and raised a pillar along what later became the King’s Highway just outside a town known as the City of Bread, the City of David, Bethlehem.
A thousand years later the Lord was finished with the last king of Judah and their child-sacrificing worship to Baal. The Jews were going into exile, a 70-year time-out.
They walked beside the tomb of Rachel as they left in chains along the Kings Highway, up through northern Syria and around the desert, down to southern Iraq to a city called Babylon.
Jeremiah foretold this deportation when he spoke the words we will read on Sunday, "A voice is heard on high, wailing, bitter weeping, Rachel weeps for her children; she refuses to be consoled for her children are no more."
Matthew links Jeremiah’s words to the slaughter of innocents by Herod after the birth of Christ.
It is a puzzle, the way societies end up embracing infanticide of some sort of another when they turn away from God and really mean it.
I have heard it said, that the manner in which a society treats its most helpless citizens is a witness to its quality. I would go further and say that the manner in which a society treats its most helpless citizens is nothing less than a summons to heaven.
Egypt’s final depravity was the forced execution of all male Hebrew newborns. It was in fact a male Hebrew newborn that answered this Egyptian summons to heaven. When Moses left with the Hebrews, Egypt was a broken nation and would never recover. God answered their summons.
Even the Lord’s chosen people, during the time of Jeremiah, summoned heavenly intervention and received a message of God’s utter bewilderment, "…and they built the high places of the Baal, to burn their sons in fire as burnt offerings to the Baal, which I never commanded, nor spoke of, nor even considered in My heart." After their exile, the children of Jacob would never again resort to child sacrifice, but they returned to Israel a remnant of their former nation. Settling in the ruins of their former towns, they scraped a life back together by clinging to the words of their prophets who promised a savior.
It is perhaps a fitting contrast that we celebrate Advent during the darkest days of the year. We remind ourselves each year that a woman consented to give birth to a child and that decision has made all the difference. We celebrate this birth, however, while residing in a society that kills its unborn children. By honoring the day Christ was born, we protest this practice.
We protest loudly with singing and trumpets which tell the world that if it understands nothing else, understand this: we value children so much that we stop everything for one day each year to celebrate the birth of one child.
The writer teaches church history at St. Andrew Church in Eagle River
Precious independence
I happened to be chatting some weeks ago with a confrere at the pastoral center where I work and we were reflecting on how it was when we were teenagers and how it was with regard to our parents. Not always so heavenly, we agreed. We were often pugnacious, belligerent, confrontational, truculent and argumentative, all under the guise, so we thought, of finding our independence, although we would never have used that word.
Now that we have grown into adulthood, we often look back on those days with shame and embarrassment. The fortunate point is, of course, that our parents were actually able to handle all this childish arrogance and move on to better things.
My friend and I also commented on the sometimes-humorous situations where we must deal with our aged parents. How do you tell your father, for instance, that he might want to think about giving up his driver’s license? The last two fender-benders did not bode well for his skills at the wheel! "Are you crazy," he will say. "How do you imagine your mother and I plan to get to the market or to church on Sunday without a car? I’m as good a driver today as I was when I was in college."
That is a moot question, of course, but the interesting feature about this conversation is that our fathers (or our mothers) are showing as much independence in this instance as we did when we were youngsters! Once you have lost your freedom, there’s not much left!
The question is how does one speak to one’s parents now that they are older? After all, they are still our parents. The answer is, gently but firmly as they once spoke to us. Logic does not enter the equation. Fraternal charity is the most reliable answer.
These thoughts came to mind as I perused the readings for the forthcoming feast of the Holy Family, particularly the words of Sirach, the wisdom teacher: "My son, take care of your father when he is old; even if his mind fail, be considerate; kindness to a father will not be forgotten. Whoever honors his father atones for sins." No teacher today has said it any better.
From this follows the beautiful poetry of Paul in his Colossian letter, the passage I often suggest to bridal couples for their wedding: "Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another…and over all these put on love." No family counselor has ever said it any better.
The point in all this, of course, is that each of us progresses through periods of independence, whether as youngsters or people of age. We guard it with a certain fierceness. Having independence is part of our very human character; it’s the way we come to know ourselves at the deepest level of our being. Unless we can test it occasionally, how should we come to know what our limits or our gifts are? I’m sure this must have been on Jesus’ mind when he decided one day that he would hang out in the temple where all people of religious importance hung out. Of course, he caused no little anxiety for his parents over it. Nothing further is mentioned in the Gospels, so I presume it was all forgiven and forgotten.
I assume that all of us, when we reach a mature age, will want to reflect on the days of our youth occasionally and hope that not too much harm was done by pushing the edges out a bit. No doubt, our parents would now appreciate the same consideration.
The writer is Anchorage Archdiocese director of Pastoral Education. He also serves as canonical pastor and coordinator of parishes without resident priests.
So, you want to be a saint?
I remember the day I graduated college — champagne and palm trees. By the end of the ceremony, I was hung over with a headache and my mind was racing.
I held a degree that cost me fifty thousand dollars, but didn’t have a clue what to do with my life. After the ceremony, I took a nap. I had a dream where the Blessed Virgin Mary stood looking at me, smiling. Everything became clear.
That night my friend asked me, "So what are your plans now?"
I responded, "How do you become a saint?"
"Well, if you’re going to try to be a saint, you have to be a martyr first," she said. "You need to die to yourself idiot. Your pride needs to go. Your dreams of becoming successful need to stop. You can’t serve two masters especially if you want to be a saint."
Easier said then done. For the last 3 years, I’ve struggled painfully trying to make Jesus the center of my life. I learned that I am weak and self-centered. But, in knowing this, I also learned to rely on Jesus to transform me.
In the beginning of this great mission to become a saint, I realized my terrible flaws. The more I hung out with Catholics, the more I judged, the more I tried to be perfect and the more I failed. I didn’t know Jesus. I wanted to, in the deepest part of me, but I didn’t know how to approach him. Who wants to listen in silence? It’s painstaking. Who wants to read Scripture when you can watch a movie? Without realizing it, my goal was actually to be Jesus’ manager, not his friend.
I discovered that I didn’t even know Jesus and that if I didn’t know him and spend time with him, I would never be a Christian, let alone a saint.
I sin. I need his friendship to understand how to forgive like he forgives, to love like he loves, to serve like he serves. I’m no better than anyone else, and love no more than any other soul. What I learned was simple, life is not about perfection, but about deep friendship with Jesus.
For me, this began in surrendering my idea of God. Jesus became real, only when I gave him freedom to deal with me how he chose.
Since I didn’t know God, I decided to get to know him like I would a best friend.
At the beginning, Jesus was just an object, a corpse on the cross without a voice. Then an obvious discovery hit me: He is not Jim Caviezel or a surfer with a beard in a Sunday school story. Jesus is alive in you; alive in me. He desires to be with us today, in this very moment. If we only take the time to press pause on the iPod, to turn off the TV and to listen to him interiorly, a new friendship will emerge. A new way of life will begin.
What does Jesus think about the way we live? What’s his take on politics or art or the film we just saw? When we engage Jesus and ask him to be part of our life, he grows into the center of it.
Mother Teresa once said, "To be holy, is to be present to God." I love that. He is in the storm and in the sun and graces us with more than we could ever imagine, if we let him.
As soon as we decide to choose faith versus fear, we receive Christ’s gift of peace in the chaos, his gift of knowledge when there is confusion, his gift of light when darkness is all around.
He has a gift for each of us this Christmas. It won’t have meaning in our life, though, if he is not born into our hearts. What gift is he waiting to give?
Airline hikes challenge WYD pilgrims
John Paul II truly believed that the young people were called to pilgrimage. His quote below is his ongoing invitation for young people to go to World Youth Day.
"Once again, young people from all over the world are summoned by Jesus Christ, the center of our lives, the basis of our faith, the reason of our hope and the source of our charity."
Sadly, events in the past month will challenge many people’s resolve to attend this next WYD. We got word from the tour company that because of price gouging by the airlines, extra fuel surcharges, and the plummeting US dollar, the cost of WYD was going to increase $1,600 to a total of $5,300 for a 16-day pilgrimage to Australia. Many of the airlines that service Australia have increased their fairs substantially — some even breaking contracts with us in order to make more profit. It is not just Americans either, it is the whole world. Since Australia is an island with limited air traffic, it seems they have a monopoly that they are able to capitalize on.
After many negotiations and dropping some things from the trip, the cost will only increase by $800 dollars. It is more reasonable, but still a major blow to the dreams of the young people who have been trying so hard to get to WYD with Pope Benedict XVI.
I believe God still is calling our young people to WYD. The question is only how will we respond to this situation. I know some people will probably cancel. I was thinking about what early pilgrims used to go through. I came to the realization that we have only hit the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the frustration and sacrifice that all pilgrims went through before modern transportation. We are being asked to sacrifice more to begin our pilgrimage but I am more confident than ever that those who find a way to get there will in fact never regret going. Perhaps the extra sacrifice will allow an even deeper conversion experience.
In talking with several youth, it is inspiring to witness their faith and resolve when they heard of the increased fees. I am inspired by their belief that nothing will get in their way of seeing the pope and WYD. Please keep all the pilgrims in your prayers. Encourage them, support their fundraisers, or perhaps you could help sponsor one of these young people who are so determined to go on this pilgrimage.
The writer is a member of the Anchorage Archdiocese Youth Evangelization Team
Editorial
Wormholes, the pope and Christian hope
One of the great moments from Pope Benedict XVI’s new papal letter (Spe Salvi) is his affirmation that people who know Jesus are radically free. They are not just the products of materialistic and evolutionary laws. These impersonal forces don’t have the last word over the follower of Christ.
"We are not slaves of the universe and of its laws," he writes in the Nov. 30 letter, "we are free." Free to follow God and experience real internal transformation during our earthly lifetime. Being a Christian, the pope says, is not simply believing a set of statements and dogmas but it is letting those dogmas take root in us and grow into living seeds of hope.
"The Gospel is not merely a communication of things that can be known – it is one that makes things happen and is life changing," he writes. "The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted a new life."
And that new life is not merely relegated to the sweet by-and-by. It begins now, in the middle of the workweek or on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Everything has changed for the believer.
Perhaps that sounds a bit childish, to go around maintaining that the world is an enchanted realm, full of spiritual pilgrims who have already begun an eternal journey that will transform them into the image of Christ.
But this is what the 81-year-old German pontiff maintains.
In fact, he even affirms something akin to a spiritual wormhole, where the future glory of heaven folds back into the present-day afternoon.
You see, Christian faith is not simply man grasping for something that is not yet here, Benedict writes. Rather, "It gives us even now something of the reality we are waiting for."
Through faith, we experience a limited but very real taste of our future glory with Christ. This taste constitutes a kind of proof to the Christians believer that what they hope for is real and in fact already partially present.
"The fact that this future (glory) exists, changes the present," the Benedict writes, "the present is touched by the future reality, and thus the things of the future spill over into the present and those in the present into those of the future."
The good pope goes on like this for several more brilliant pages. He wants us to know that there is great cause to hope for the Christian who dares to take up his cross and run after Christ.
This new letter is penned for "the bishops, priests and deacons, men and women religious and all the lay faithful." With a conversational tone and father’s love, Pope Benedict XVI explores the great themes of Christian hope. Eternal life, human longing, individualism, faith in the modern age, different notions of progress, suffering, the Final Judgment and the witness of the saints – they’re all there.
Check out the letter at www.zenit.org/article-21152?l=english.
"Do we really want this – to live eternally?" the pope asks readers in his recent letter to the world. "Perhaps many people reject the faith today because they do not find the prospect of eternal life attractive. What they desire is not eternal life at all but this present life, for which faith in eternal life seems something of an impediment."
The term "eternal life" is really inadequate and actually creates confusion in trying to describe the hope of Christians, Benedict says.
"Eternal life," is just a term used to describe an unknown and mysterious longing that everyone is born with, he says. We can’t actually put into words what we long for so we say, "eternal life."
So what is it?
Well, it is not an "unending succession of days in the calendar" but something more like the "supreme moment of satisfaction," the pope writes.
"It would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite love, a moment in which time – before and after – no longer exists. We can only attempt to grasp the idea that such a moment is life in the full sense, a plunging ever anew into the vastness of being, in which we are simply overwhelmed by joy."
This is the sort of hope that the world needs to know. It is the sort of hope that Christians need to rediscover or discover for the first time.
This is not a hope we can keep to ourselves, the pope states. We have an obligation to share it with those whose are trying to get by with fragile hopes in the fleeting things of life – health, careers, political causes, new loves.
It is hard to miss that the pope’s new letter is an attempt to articulate in new ways the ancient faith that has been muddied and misunderstood in recent years. The true faith is still great and its promise brighter than ever. For those who wish to hear it proclaimed again for the first time, start by picking Pope Benedict XVI’s newly penned letter.
Letters to the Editor
There are no letters to the editor for this issue.