Denver Catholic

4 I OPINION SEPTEMBER 25, 2013 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER A. the law of predestination: we are called to be the people of God B. the new commandment of love: to love as Christ loved us C. the rite of initiation: to be born anew of water and the Spirit THE CATHOLIC DIFFERENCE GEORGE WEIGEL SIAULIAI, LITHUANIA—No one knows when pious Lithuanians first erected crosses of all sizes on a hill about 7 miles north of the city of Siauliai; it may have been after an abortive 1831 uprising against Russian rule over the small Baltic country. Oftentimes, the bodies of Lithuanian patriots killed during that rebellion, and a similar revolt in 1863, could not be found. So their families planted crosses in their memory on a small mound that was eventually covered with memorials. During the country's brief moment of independence between the First and Second World Wars, citizens of a free Lithuania continued to plant crosses near Siauliai, as the Hill of Crosses became a pilgrimage center. I first became aware of this remarkable place in the late 1970s, when I began to take an interest in the Catholic Church's struggle for religious freedom in Lithuania, then a "republic" of the Soviet Union. That struggle was led by some remarkable men and women, including two priests who did time in the Gulag labor camps, Father Sigitas Tamkevicius, S.J., and Father Alfonsas Svarinskas, and a clandestine nun, Nijole Sadunaite, whose small book, "A Radiance in the Gulag," remains a moving testament to courage forged by Catholic devotion. The resistance Church in Lithuania produced the longest-running, unbroken underground publication in the history of the USSR, "The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania," which was typed, copy by copy, on manual typewriters, secretly distributed in Lithuania, and then smuggled abroad, where it was translated into English by Brooklyn-based Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid. In the mid-1980s, working with my friend Congressman John Miller, I helped organize a Lithuanian Catholic Religious Freedom Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. The caucus's bipartisan membership pressed the Soviet authorities to release Lithuanian Catholic prisoners of conscience, engineered a Congressional resolution in support of Lithuanian independence and religious freedom in 1987, the 600th anniversary of Lithuania's baptism, and marked that event with a public reception in the Capitol that was broadcast to Lithuania on Radio Liberty. By the time the Soviet Union imploded—Lithuania leading the way with its 1990 declaration of independence—Father Tamkevicius, Father Svarinskas, and Sister Nijole were free, and the Church was widely recognized as a major factor in Lithuania's successful struggle to maintain its national identity and cultural integrity. Throughout the difficult years, I was fascinated by the Hill of Crosses. Time after time, the Soviets took down the crosses, bulldozing the site on several occasions. And each time the crosses, large and small, went back up—a dogged display of religious conviction and political courage that embodied a small, beleaguered nation's refusal to kowtow to atheistic propaganda and totalitarian power. Sigitas Tamkevicius has been the archbishop of Kaunas since 1996; Alfonsas Svarinskas, now a monsignor, is retired but still feisty and active; Sister Nijole continues to radiate the joy of consecrated life in Vilnius. It was wonderful to see each of them during a recent visit I made to Lithuania to help the Church celebrate the 20th anniversary of John Paul II's 1993 visit. There were numerous events commemorating that epic pastoral pilgrimage: in the parliament, in the Vilnius cathedral, at universities in Vilnius and Kaunas, and at the great Marian shrine at Siluva. I hope that, through these events, Lithuanian Catholicism looked back in such a way that the path forward, to the free and virtuous society to which John Paul II called Lithuania, came into clearer focus. From a personal point of view, however, the most moving moment in a week of commemorations was my visit to the Hill of Crosses. Some count 100,000 crosses there now; the exact count makes no difference. At Siauliai, in what John Paul II called the "land of crosses," the tradition of looking at history, and our lives, through the prism of the cross and its mystery of redemptive suffering continues. I planted a small cross in memory of the martyrs for religious freedom who lie in unmarked graves across Siberia, and prayed for those who defend the first freedom today. George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. Weigel's column is distributed by the Denver Catholic Register, the official newspaper of the Denver Archdiocese. Phone: 303-715-3215. BY PETER WESTHOFF The people of God A quiz on Catholic things under the patronage of the "Doctor of Prayer," St. Teresa of Avila. For each question there is one right answer, but the answer for one question is "None of the Above." The following quiz covers Catechism of the Catholic Church Nos. 782-786. The Catechism gives seven characteristics of the People of God. Questions 1-3 are about these characteristics. Pa ch 2. What is the mission of the people of God? 6. In John 15:4-5, Jesus A. to be the salt of the says, "Abide in me and YEAR earth and light of the OF FAITH I in you … I am the world SCRIPTURE vine; you are the was B. to seek in sincerbranches." What "Know that the Lord the meaning Jesus ity and discover in works wonders for uncertainty gives in John 6:5-6 the faithful." — C. to inherit the earth to achieve this mutual Psalm 4 abiding? 3. What is the destiny of A. obedience to the comthe people of God? mandments A. the kingdom of God brought to B. eating his flesh and drinking perfection at the end of time his blood B. the dignity and freedom of the C. selling all we have and giving it sons of God to the poor C. to be the messianic people through anointing 7. This part of the catechism puts us in the midst of a treat4. The Father anointed his Son ment of the Church. What do we with the Holy Spirit giving him call the theological study of the three roles. We have a share in Church? these roles and also in the reA. epistemology sponsibilities and mission they B. eclecticism confer. What are these three C. ecumenical endeavoring Sep. 28 roles? A. savior, sanctifier and exemplar B. priest, prophet and king C. victim, victor and ambassador The follo Next quiz covers 787-810 confirm 1. B, 2. A, 3. A, 4. B, 5. C, 6. B, 7. None of the Above: Ecclesiology In the land of crosses 5. Pope St. Leo the Great says that governing the body in obedience to God demonstrates this attribute of a member of the people of God: A. self-restraint B. authority C. royalty 1. What is the law of the people of God? Rev. Giu effectiv ministry LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A plea for peace I participated in the vigil for peace at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Sept. 7. I was glad to see the Church taking such a prominent stand on this vital issue. Syria is a hornet's nest. You can plan to remove a hornet's nest or you can leave it alone and steer clear of it. America's plan seems to be to whack it with a stick and see what happens. Bad plan. Two caveats, though: 1. Clarify lines of prudential responsibility. Matters of war and peace are the prudential responsibility of lay national leaders. Matters of faith and morals are the prudential responsibility of the bishops. All will be held directly to account by God for how they handled their prudential responsibility. The bishops are, indeed, responsible for counsel that informs the conscience of national leaders. But it is the leaders who will be held to account for their decisions. 2. Avoid hyperbole. It does not lend gravity; it saps credibility. If violence never brings peace, should we disarm all police officers and disband the military? Was it a mistake to defeat Hitler? Was the Church mistaken in canonizing St. Joan of Arc? I would say that initiating violence never brings good except that our Founder initiated violence to cleanse the temple of money changers and I would not presume to rebuke him for it. Intervention in Syria would likely trigger a conflagration. There is no good that can come of it now. But let us be measured in exercising our responsibility, lest it come back to haunt us in different circumstances. Deacon and app I simply want to send myDenver, Kudos thanks to Archbishop Sam and to the Register for coverage of the Syria prayer for peace events in Denver and Rome (Sept. 11 Denver Catholic Register). And also for the column on nuclear weapons (Christopher Stefanick, "The fruit of the bomb"). Good work. Thanks. John F. Kane Emeritus Professor of Religion Regis University, Denver Charlie Johnston Golden LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters should be no more than 250 words and should include the writer's name, address and telephone number. We rely on our readers to recognize that the opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the Archdiocese of Denver. Letters containing plainly misstated facts, misinformation or libelous statements will not be printed. Unsigned letters will not be printed. Letters may be edited. Send letters to: Editor, Denver Catholic Register, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or fax to 303-7152045. E-mail us at: editor@archden.org. DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER CIRCULATION CUSTOMER SERVICE: 303-722-4687 OR CIRCULATION@ARCHDEN.ORG Published by the Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 General Manager Karna Swanson Denver Catholic Register (USPS 557-020) is published weekly except the last week of December and the first week of January, and in June, July and August when it goes bi-weekly. The Register is printed by The Denver Post LLC in Denver. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. Editor Roxanne King Subscriptions: $35 a year in Colorado; $42 per year out of state. Foreign countries: $42 surface, all countries, 6-8 weeks for delivery; $135 air, all other countries (average). Mexico, $48 air; Canada, $55 air. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Denver Catholic Register, Circulation Dept., 1300 S. Steele St., Denver, CO 80210 or e-mail circulation@archden.org. 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