Denver Catholic

2 I CATHOLIC LIFE OCTOBER 29, 2014 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ARCHBISHOP'S COLUMN MOST REV. SAMUEL J. AQUILA In the days since the Synod on the Family ended, I have had some people tell me they are confused or worried about the results of the gathering. Many of them have listened to the secular media reports that openly advocate for the Church to change her teaching on marriage and human sexuality, but they did not read the actual documents. Outside of the media spotlight, the synod heard beautiful testimonies from couples and bishops around the world who had experienced the truth of the Church's teaching on marriage. But since those stories didn't fit the media narrative, they didn't make it into the newspapers or nightly newscasts. The joy of the Gospel of Marriage is alive! This was especial- ly clear in Pope Francis' remarks at the conclusion of the syn- od. During the synod, he said, the testimonies provided mo- ments of "consolation and grace and comfort." The couples who spoke shared "the beauty and the joy of their married life," and they bore witness to a journey "where the stronger feel compelled to help the less strong, where the more experi- enced are led to serve others, even through confrontations." The media never reported on the strong witness given to marriage and the stories of the joy that comes from living out of the Church's teaching. Still, the tone and content of some of the discussions wor- ried some people. The great Catholic writer and thinker G.K. Chesterton once wrote in his book "The Everlasting Man:" "Christendom has had a series of revolutions and in each one of them Christian- ity has died. Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it had a God who knew the way out of the grave." Jesus knew the way out of the grave, and he assured St. Pe- ter the "gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against" the Church (Mt 16:18). We live in particularly challenging times where secularism is rampant, but that makes it the perfect time to trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit and Christ's promise to St. Peter. It is the perfect time to speak the truth of the Gospel with joy and to urge people to encounter Jesus Christ. Pope Francis noted this, too, in his opening address to the synod. "I ask you to speak with frankness and listen with hu- mility," he told the synod fathers. "Do so with tranquility and peace, for the synod always takes cum Petro et sub Petro— with Peter and under Peter—and the presence of the Pope is the guarantee for all and the safeguard of the faith." And at the closing he declared, "And I have felt that what was set before our eyes was the good of the Church, of fami- lies, and the 'supreme law' the 'good of souls.' And this always (was the goal)—we have said it here, in the hall—without ever putting into question the fundamental truths of the Sacra- ment of Marriage: the indissolubility, the unity, the faithful- ness, the fruitfulness, the openness to life." Pope Francis also addressed the way the discussions un- folded in his closing remarks. The synod, he said, was marked by moments of "profound consolation" and moments of "desolation, of tensions and temptation." For "traditionalists" and intellectuals, the Holy Father said the temptation was to become consumed with the letter of the law, while "progressives and liberals" risked buying into a "deceptive mercy" that binds wounds without "first curing and treating them." He also noted the synod fathers face the temptation to "neglect the 'depositum fidei'(deposit of faith), not thinking of themselves as guardians but as owners or masters (of it)." These are real problems that have to be addressed, but it seems to me that an even greater temptation exists for the faithful: doubting the Holy Spirit and Christ's promise to St. Peter. Pope Francis did not miss this either, citing the tenden- cy of commentators and others to doubt the Holy Spirit, "the true promoter and guarantor of the unity and harmony of the Church." "The Holy Spirit," he reminded the synod fathers, "has Media missed synod's testimonies of joy 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 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 Signature Offset in Denver. Periodical postage paid in Denver, CO. 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. Editorial: 303-715-3215 or editor@archden.org Advertising: 303-715-3253 or dcrads@archden.org Circulation: 303-715-3211 or circulation@archden.org Online: www.DenverCatholicRegister.org General Manager Karna Swanson Interim Editor Julie Filby Business Manager Michael O'Neill BY CINDY BROVSKY While the United States faces serious attacks on religious free- dom Catholics must develop a stronger relationship with Jesus Christ and fight the cultural war with truth, love and prayer, said renowned Catholic author Peter Kreeft. "Since you are fighting Christ's war use Christ's weapons," Kreeft told about 250 participants at the Gospels of Life Conference Oct. 25 at Risen Christ Parish in southeast Denver. "What are the weapons? Not power, not prag- matism, not political pander- ing. Christ could have used all of those weapons and won the world. He would have marched on Rome and become the new Cesar. Instead, he let himself be crucified by Caesar. It sounds crazy but he won something better than the world, he won heaven and he asks us to join his kingdom not Caesar's." "Mission Possible: Battle Plan for a Society in Crisis" was the theme of the day-long confer- ence hosted by Catholic Chari- ties of the Archdiocese of Den- ver, in conjunction with the Catholic Medical Association. The day began with a White Mass celebrated by Bishop Paul Etienne of the Cheyenne Diocese to honor doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals. Kreeft, a Catholic convert and professor of philosophy at Boston College since 1965, has published more than 75 books. He said Catholics will face "spir- itual suicide" if they worship politics and ignore their own relationship with Christ. "Jesus Christ is not running for president," he said. "Don't politicize the faith ... political involvement is a good thing, so- cial activism, social justice and social peace are all very good things, but they are not God; only God is God." Earlier in the day, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers outlined major threats to reli- gious freedom in the U.S., in- cluding the Affordable Health Care Act requiring birth control and abortion coverage, Chris- tian-owned marriage venues being required to marry same- sex couples, and the city of Houston issuing subpoenas for local pastors' sermons because they oppose a new anti-dis- crimination law. "There is a significant percent- age of our population, including our young people, who do not value religious freedom to the point that they have absolutely no problem telling the Catholic Church of course you have to marry same-sex couples," Suthers said. "And they don't even think about what the ram- ifications are for a free exercise of religion because, frankly, religion is not a part of their lives. So, it is a very frightening atmosphere." Kreeft agreed Catholics should not be silent on abor- tion, divorce and same-sex marriages without speaking up. "We are at war. Stop the hap- py talk and fight," he said. "Fight with words, too of course, but fight with joy and gladness be- cause this war against the prin- cipalities of the power of wick- edness in high places is the one absolutely just war in the uni- verse. Hold your head high, it is a glorious war." Mary Sullivan, a longtime Denver Catholic, attended the conference to learn more about the issues, which she said can be overcome with the power of prayer and love. "Given all the challenges of our culture I saw this as an op- portunity to be uplifted by peo- ple who can give us hope and love in the midst of these chal- lenges," she said. Cindy Brovsky: 303-715-3215; info@archden.org; www.twitter. com/DCRegister Conference tells faithful how to pick the right weapon for battle PHOTO BY TODD WOLLAM/DCR DR. PETER KREEFT engaged with the crowd at the Gospel of Life Conference Oct. 25 at Risen Christ Parish in southeast Denver. The theme of this year's conference, hosted by Catholic Char- ities of the Archdiocese of Denver and the Catholic Medical Association, was "Mission Possible: Battle Plan for a Society in Crisis." See Aquila, Page 7

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