How are We Doing in Haiti?

Thought you might be interested in the following figures for Haiti relief efforts in the five weeks since the earthquake:

• $276,000,000 – American Red Cross (includes 6 million from the “Hope for Haiti Telethon)
• $3,200,000 – Adventist Development and Relief Organization
• $5,500,000 – American Jewish World Service
• $1,300,000 – Catholic Medical Mission Board and has also received 10.6 million in medicines and medical supplies
• $60,400,000 – Catholic Relief Services ($1.4 million from the Diocese of St. Petersburg)
• $2,300,000 – Habitat for Humanity
• $3,200,000 – Lutheran World Relief
• $11,600,000 – Mercy Corps
• $10,800,000 – Salvation Army
• $18,200,000 – Save the Children USA and another $48 million from its international affiliates
• $11,000,000 – United Methodist Committee on Relief
• $27,600,000 – World Vision US
• $774,000,000 – Total Raised by American Charities for Haiti

Americans are, indeed, generous people even in a moment of local economic distress. Thanks to all who gave.

GENEVA, Switzerland, MARCH 8, 2010 (Zenit.org) – Defending human rights will contribute to ending the financial crisis, according to a Holy See representative at the United Nations.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See’s permanent observer at the Geneva U.N. offices, affirmed this in his address last Wednesday to the 13th session of the Human Rights Council.

“The delegation of the Holy See wishes to reaffirm its conviction that the perspective of human rights offers a positive contribution for a solution to the present financial crisis,” the archbishop said. “Although it is true that some signs of recovery are being seen, the crisis continues to worsen the situation of millions of people in their access to essential needs of life” and “compromises the retirement plans” of many.

Regulations are needed that will ensure lasting and global development, the prelate proposed. And he said there is a “unique opportunity” to tackle the “roots of the crisis” by implementing human rights in the “economic, civil and political” realms.

Equality and justice

The Holy See representative reflected on the United Nations Report on the negative consequences of the financial crisis: the scandal of hunger, growing inequality, millions of unemployed, millions of new poor, failure of institutions, lack of social protection for vulnerable people, etc.

Citing Benedict XVI’s social encyclical “Caritas in Veritate,” he pointed out the imbalances that occur when “separating economic management, to which the production of wealth alone corresponds, from political action, which should have the role of obtaining justice through redistribution.”

“Equality and justice are the essential criteria to manage the world economy,” stressed Archbishop Tomasi.

And it is possible to promote human rights, the prelate affirmed, if states “translate principles into laws and make on the spot changes a reality.”

Governments are the primary protagonists in implementing human rights, the Holy See representative stated, but collaboration with civil society and the international community should not be lacking.

“The common objective,” he said, “is the protection of human dignity that connects the whole of the human family,” a unity “rooted in these four fundamental principles: the central character of the human person, solidarity, subsidiarity and the common good.”

Ignoring people

The prelate cautioned against solutions to the crisis that consider the “reform of the financial system” or of “economic models” without taking into account the needs of people.

On the contrary, “access to resources” must be guaranteed “to improve their conditions of life” and to allow them to “put their talents at the service of the local community and of the universal common good,” he said.

To make this happen, Archbishop Tomasi explained, “the rules that govern the financial system” must be modified, leaving aside the “old forms of greed that have led to the present crisis” and encouraging the promotion of an “effective integral development and the implementation of human rights” because “the person, in his integrity, is the first capital to protect and appreciate.”

Boston, Mass., Mar 9, 2010 / (CNA) – The Archdiocese of Boston has launched its 2010 Catholic Appeal, with recent figures indicating significant financial recovery since Cardinal Seán O’Malley took over the leadership of the archdiocese in 2003.

“The Archdiocese is blessed by the continued generosity of our parishioners and friends,” Cardinal Seán O’Malley, the Archbishop of Boston, commented. “In a particular way the priests, deacons, religious and lay members of our parishes are able to build up communities of faith and service because of the contributions in support of the Annual Appeal.”

Monetary contributions to the Catholic Appeal have increased nearly 75 percent, $6.3 million, since 2002. That year, reports about the archdiocese’s treatment of priests accused of sexual abuse sparked great controversy that led to the resignation of the cardinal’s predecessor, Cardinal Bernard Law.

Since Cardinal O’Malley’s 2003 installation, monetary contributions to the Catholic Appeal have increased by 44 percent.

Cardinal O’Malley launched the 2010 Appeal, themed “Called to Love and Share,” in the Flatley Room of the archdiocese’s Pastoral Center.

The cardinal in his homily for the weekend discussed Christian charity.

“All that we have and all that we are is a gift. When we give to help others, we are acknowledging that we are not absolute owners of our possessions, but administrators of the goods God has entrusted to us. Scripture teaches us that there is more joy in giving than in receiving. When we do things out of love, we express the truth of our being.”

He added that we have been created “not for ourselves, but for God and our brothers and sisters.”

Scot Landry, the archdiocese’s secretary for institutional advancement, said that the Appeal is the “main source of funding” for the archdiocese’s central ministries.

“In many ways, the Catholic Appeal is to our Archdiocese what the offertory collection is to our parishes or what an Annual Fund is to universities,” he explained. “Through the Catholic Appeal, Catholics in our 291 parishes come together as one Church to pass on our faith, care for those in need, and gather to pray and worship together.”

The Catholic Appeal provides 74 percent of the resources for the archdiocese’s Central Operating Fund, which supports over 50 ministries, programs and offices in the archdiocese. Almost half of the gifts support specialized services to parishes, while almost 23 percent fund education, formation and evangelization efforts.

Slightly over ten percent of the Appeal supports general and operational services of the archdiocese, while 8.2 percent supports the mailings, materials and management of the Appeal itself.

“To everyone who has supported the Church’s works of mercy and evangelization I express my sincere gratitude.” Cardinal O’Malley continued. “Today, I ask all Catholics to be generous in contributing to the 2010 Catholic Appeal. Every gift matters. Working together in the name of the Church we can go forward to build a civilization of love.”

Vatican City, Mar 6, 2010 / (CNA/EWTN News) -- The Holy Father met with thousands of members of the Italian Civil Protection Service on Saturday in the Paul VI Hall. He commended their voluntary service in protection of the common good and the dignity of man, comparing their work to that of the Good Samaritan.

Drawing attention to the strength of the volunteer organization in its approximately 1.3 million members, Pope Benedict XVI called it “one of the most recent and mature expressions of the long tradition of solidarity,” which has its foundation “in the altruism and generosity of the Italian people.”

Italian Civil Protection Service’s (ICPS) mission and “vocation” of protecting people and their dignity, he said, is well-represented in the name of the organization.

The ICPS provides assistance and security for national and international emergencies as well as major events, such as World Youth Day 2000 in Rome. They offered a massive response following the earthquake that rocked L’Aquila, Italy April 6, 2009.

“This mission,” he continued, “does not only consist in emergency management, but in a precise and worthy contribution to the realization of the common good” which is always the goal of human coexistence “especially in the moments of great trials.”

These occasions, said the Pope, provide a chance for “discernment and not desperation” and they offer the opportunity to design new plans for society oriented towards virtue and the good of all.

In the figure of the Good Samaritan, said the Holy Father, we see a model for the protection of the person and commitment to the common good. “This person indeed demonstrated charity and humility tending to an unfortunate person in the moment of utmost need.”

While others turned a blind eye, the Good Samaritan taught us to “walk towards the emergency and to prepare … the return to normalcy,” he pointed out.

As these pages in Luke’s gospel show us, said Benedict XVI, “love of our neighbor cannot be delegated: the State and politics, though with the necessary attention for welfare, cannot replace it.”

Pope Benedict XVI repeated the words from his encyclical, “Deus caritas est” saying, “Love will always be necessary, even in the most just society” and this “requires and will always require personal and volunteer commitment.”

For this reason, the Holy Father told the group of an estimated 7,000 people from the ICPS, volunteers are not just “hole-fillers” in society, but they are people who “truly contribute to delineate the human and Christian face of society.”

“Without volunteer work, the common good and society cannot last long, as their progress and their dignity depend in great measure exactly on those people who do more than their strict duty.”

The Holy Father called the members of the ICPS to be “living icons of the Good Samaritan,” giving attention to their neighbors, remembering the dignity of man and inciting hope.

“When a person doesn’t limit himself to just completing his duty in his profession and in the family, but he works for others, his heart delights. He who loves and serves another freely as a neighbor lives and acts according to the Gospel and takes part in the mission of the Church, which always protects the entire human and wants to make him feel the love of God,” Pope Benedict concluded.

The well known story of the Lazarus and the Rich Man was read at Mass yesterday morning. At one level the story seems plain enough: to neglect the poor is a damnable sin. But there are other important teachings contained in this Gospel, teachings about death, judgment, heaven and hell. They are hidden in the details and are somewhat subtle. But that is the beauty of this story, its subtlety. Let’s take a look at some of the teachings beginning with the obvious one.

1. Neglect of the Poor is a damnable sin – There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores …
2. Though in torment the Rich Man has not changed – The Rich Man in torment, raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ …
3. The Rich Man does not ask to come to heaven – It is a very strange fact that the Rich Man does not ask that he might come to heaven but asks that Lazarus be sent to Hell. One of the saddest facts about the souls in Hell must be that they would not be happy in heaven anyway. After all, heaven is about being with God, it is about justice, love of the poor, chastity, the heavenly liturgy, the celebration of the truth, the praise of God, and God (rather than me) being at the center …
4. The Great Reversal – Abraham further indicates to the Rich Man and to us the “great reversal”: My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. We spend a lot of time trying to be on top in this world …
5. To refuse the truth of Revelation is a damnable sin – The Rich Man does not repent to God, neither does he seek to be reconciled with Lazarus. But he does have some concerns for his brothers, for his family. We need not assume that the souls in Hell have no affections whatsoever. It simply remains true that their affections are not for God and what God esteems …

Five basic teachings from a well known parable. We do well to heed these lessons!

– Read the full article –

A newly released report by the Sage Policy Group, Inc. has found that Catholic school students in the Archdiocese of Baltimore produce higher test scores, are more likely to graduate and are more likely to attend and graduate from college than their public school counterparts.

The study found that the presence of Catholic schools is of disproportionate benefit to older and lower-income communities, with Catholic school graduates expected to earn more money and support more jobs, income formation and business sales in the broader economy.

Catholic school graduates will contribute more to state and local government coffers than their public school counterparts, the study said, and are more likely to emerge as societal leaders and organizers.

The Sage report also noted that Catholic schools reduce state and local public educational expenses by tens of millions of dollars every year and can be a stabilizing presence in older communities.

“All policymakers and donors should be aware of the myriad benefits produced by Catholic schools and their graduates,” the report said, “and should be willing to support emerging models that are successfully building Catholic school capacity anew, including in older communities with large numbers of low-income residents and in newer communities that are yet to enjoy the benefits of being able to select a Catholic education.”

Sage analysts determined that the schools of the Archdiocese of Baltimore support nearly 5,400 jobs in the region associated with labor income of $212 million. The report found that Catholic schools in the Baltimore archdiocese saved Maryland $180 million in 2008-09, including $72 million in Baltimore County and $22 million in Baltimore City.

“Based on the average cost of supplying educational services to a public school student in Maryland,” the report said, “the State of Maryland saved roughly $200 million per year in expenditures due to the presence of Catholic school capacity. This equals over $380 million total funds saved by state and local governments per year.”

Citing high Catholic school test scores, which rank above the national percentile rankings, the report said higher educational attainment translates into higher lifetime earnings.

Sage analysis showed that for every 23,100 Catholic school graduates, lifetime earnings will be $5.2 billion more than for the equal number of public school graduates. That translates into approximately $225,000 per graduate over the course of a working lifetime, the report said.

The report noted that in the 2008-09 school year, 82 percent of graduating seniors from Archdiocese of Baltimore high schools were preparing to attend college.

“Once one adds in data for those set to attend two-year colleges,” the report said, “the number rises to an astonishing 97 percent or more than 30 percentage points higher than the public school proportion.”

From Dan Conway’s The Good Steward, February 2010

Last summer at a prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI formally opened the Year for Priests. “The Church needs priests who are holy, ministers who help the faithful experience the merciful love of the Lord and who are convinced witnesses of that love,” the Holy Father said.

The Year for Priests coincides with the 150th anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests. It is an opportunity to reflect on the blessings of priestly ministry — an especially important witness at a time when the image of the priest has been tarnished by scandal.

Pope Benedict reminded the world’s priests (more than 400,000 worldwide) that they have been consecrated to “serve, humbly and with authority, the common priesthood of the faithful.” He also warned that “nothing makes the Church and the Body of Christ suffer so much as the sins of its pastors.”

“Ours is an indispensable mission for the Church and for the world which demands full fidelity to Christ and unceasing union with him,” the pope said. “It demands, therefore, that we tend constantly to sanctity, as St. John Vianney did.” …

– Read the full article –

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 1, 2010 (Zenit.org) – Benedict XVI will pray this month that justice and equity will be the ruling principles for the world’s economy.

The Apostleship of Prayer announced the intentions chosen by the Pope for March. His general intention is: “That the world economy may be managed according to the principles of justice and equity, taking account of the real needs of peoples, especially the poorest.”

The Holy Father also chooses an apostolic intention for each month.

In March he will pray: “That the Churches in Africa may be signs and instruments of reconciliation and justice in every part of that continent.”

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 28, 2010 (Zenit.org) – The joys of life are not the final goal, but rather lights on the path to an eternal destination, says Benedict XVI.

This was the conclusion the Pope came to at the end of a reflection today on the Transfiguration, which he called an “extraordinary event” that is “an encouragement in following Jesus.”

Before praying the midday Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter’s Square, he noted that the three disciples who witness the Transfiguration were asleep: “It is the attitude of those who, although spectators of divine prodigies, do not understand them. Only the struggle against the torpor that assails them allows Peter, James and John to ’see’ Jesus’ glory.”

“As Moses and Elijah depart from Jesus,” the Holy Father said recounting the Gospel account, “Peter speaks, and while he is speaking, a cloud covers him and the other disciples with its shadow; it is a cloud that, although it conceals also reveals God’s glory, as happened for the people of Israel on pilgrimage through the desert.”

“The eyes can no longer see,” he added, “but the ears can hear the voice that comes from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, my chosen one; listen to him!’”

Benedict XVI explained that suddenly, “the disciples are no longer before a transfigured face, nor before a dazzling garment, nor a cloud that reveals the divine presence. Before their eyes there is ‘only Jesus.’

“Jesus is alone before his Father as he prays, but at the same time, Jesus is everything that is given to the disciples of all times: It is what must suffice on the journey.

“He is the only voice to listen to, the only one to follow, he who, going up to Jerusalem, will give his life and one day ‘will transfigure our miserable body to conform it to his glorious body.’”

“The Transfiguration reminds us that the joys sown by God in our life are not the destination,” reflected the Holy Father, “but they are lights that he gives us on the earthly pilgrimage, so that ‘only Jesus’ is our Law and his Word the criterion that guides our existence.”

“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mark 2:17).

Deep down inside we all know that something is not right with our world — or with ourselves. War and crimes of violence continue to dominate our headlines. Misuse of the human body has become widespread: drug and alcohol abuse, the ever expanding traffic in pornography. Suicide, divorce and abortion continue to be both a symptom and a cause of the disintegration of family life. These are signs of a soul sickness that afflicts the world and each one of us every day.

The eyes of faith discern a common pattern in these symptoms: alienation that results in the loneliness of isolation. The bonds of communion between persons are pulled apart, and as a result society is fragmented and broken. To the Christian believer this should come as no surprise. Knowing that sin pulls us away from the truth of our being, we might have guessed that all sin would draw us away from communion and into isolation. Every sin — not only those we think of as social, but also those we tend to think of as purely individual — pulls us away from our call to communion with God and each other, and draws us into the isolation of loneliness.

Most of us have at least some idea of the peace that comes from living in communion with God and with our brothers and sisters. In moments of contented stillness here and there, or on days when everything seems to go just right, we all catch glimpses of the joy for which we were created. But we have also tasted the anguish and recrimination that come from broken promises, selfishness and fear. There is a longing in every human heart for the joy, peace and serenity of communion. There is a corresponding ache in each of our hearts when that communion is lacking. And yet the irony is that our own attitudes and actions are often the cause of our heartache!

Consider a simple analogy: On the physical level we all say that we want good health. But how easily we find ourselves pulled away from the exercise and healthy eating that are needed to achieve and maintain good health! We want — and yet we do not really want — physical health. So, too, in the spiritual life: We say that we want the peace, joy and serenity that come from communion with God and each other. Yet how easily we find ourselves pulled into attitudes and actions that destroy the possibility of genuine communion! We say that we want spiritual health — and yet our actions show that we do not want it badly enough to change the way we live!

This internal struggle was described by St. Paul when he said: “What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate … I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want … I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members” (Rom 7:15, 19, 22).

Spiritual health comes when we recognize that we are inwardly divided and that we need God’s grace to make us whole. It comes when we confess our sins, when we open ourselves to the healing power of God’s grace, and when we let Jesus absolve us from our sins so that we can begin anew.

The Church gives us the season of Lent to help us diagnose the soul sickness that affects every one of us to some degree or another. During Lent, the readings at Mass, our prayer, the penitential practices we are called to observe (fasting and abstinence) and the good works we are invited to perform (almsgiving) all help us to admit our sinfulness and to change from a self-centered way of life to lives of generous service.

I invite every Catholic family to make this Lent a time of spiritual healing, especially by your reception of the Sacrament of Penance. A good Confession paves the way to curing our soul’s sickness. It helps us to admit our sinfulness, to do penance and to resolve to sin no more.

The Sacrament of Penance is a time-honored and proven-effective cure for the multiple symptoms of soul sickness that so many of us suffer from today. Try it. Even if it’s been a long time since your last Confession. You’ll be glad you did.