Denver Catholic

4 I OPINION MAY 15, 2013 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER BREAKING OPEN THE WORD THE CATHOLIC DIFFERENCE 'Unity is of the essence of the Church' GEORGE WEIGEL BY JAMES CAVANAGH Tribulation compounded by blasphemy As the Revised Standard Version renders the 14th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas remind the proto-Christians of Antioch that it is only "through many tribulations" that we enter the Kingdom of God. The New American Bible translation drives the point home even more sharply: "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." Christians in the United States who imagined that, whatever tribulations or hardships they have to endure, they would not include speeches by the president of the United States and the policies of the United States government had better reconsider, in light of President Barack Obama's April 26 address to the annual Planned Parenthood Gala at Washington's Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. It was an appalling speech that had the sole benefit of clarifying the last-ditch commitment of the present administration to the most open-ended abortion license possible. And it drew a line in the sand that those committed to the biblical view of the sanctity of human life cannot ignore—and must challenge. Planned Parenthood is a multimillion-dollar industry, funded in no small part by the federal government, that has been directly responsible for the deaths of millions of unborn children and is currently responsible for over one thousand such deaths every day; yet the president described Planned Parenthood's work as "providing quality health care to women all across America." Pro-life advocates' efforts to craft state laws requiring Planned Parenthood clinics and other abortionists to follow the minimal sanitation and safety standards required of true medical facilities are, according to the president, a matter of "shutting off communities that need more health care options for women, not less." The clinic-regulation laws that have been passed in states across the country are, the president charged, part of an "orchestrated and historic effort to roll back basic rights when it comes to women's health"—as if abortuaries that do not meet the health and safety standards required of your local McDonald's are contributing to anyone's "health." Moreover, such laws are an attempt to mandate "government injecting itself into decisions best made between a woman and her doctor"—as if a butcher like Philadelphia's Kermit Gosnell, who severed the spinal cords of infants born alive in botched abortions, was any woman's personal physician. Perhaps because the Obama speech to Planned Parenthood coincided with Gosnell's homicide trial, the president did not utter the word "abortion" once. But the timing notwithstanding, that omission was hardly surprising in an address that may have set a new standard for deliberate misrepresentation of reality. For it requires willful moral blindness about reality to say that "what Planned Parenthood is about" is helping "a woman from Chicago named Courtney" make sure she could start a family, by providing "access to affordable contraceptive care to keep her healthy" in the face of a fertility-threatening disease. Today, President Obama noted to applause, "She's got two beautiful kids. That's what Planned Parenthood is about." About the millions of "beautiful kids" (many of them African-American) who were never born because of Planned Parenthood, the president of the United States had not a word to say. Not a word of remorse. Not a word of compassion, for either the slaughtered innocents of our time or the mothers suffering post-abortion trauma. Just a celebration of "your right to choose," without the slightest moral pause over the question, "Choose what?" But there was worse. For President Obama concluded his remarks as follows: "Thank you, Planned Parenthood. God bless you…" And that is nothing short of blasphemy. Too harsh? No. For in its discussion of this grave sin against the Second Commandment, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 2148) teaches that "it is also blasphemous to make use of God's name to … reduce people to servitude, to torture persons or to put them to death." That is precisely what happens in Planned Parenthood abortuaries. And on that, the president of the United States called down the divine blessing. Pray for him. Pray for the United States, which is in very, very serious trouble. May 19: Pentecost Sunday Scripture readings: • Acts 2:1-11 • Psalm 104:1, 24-34 • 1 Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13 • John 20:19-23 Synopsis: Unity is one of the essential marks of the Church and a gift of the Holy Spirit. Since the Tower of Babel, man's pride has resulted in endless divisions and unending conflicts. In our first reading the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, begin to reverse the effects of Babel by speaking with one voice. Even though they speak many languages they are understood by all. Speaking with one voice they proclaim one Lord and profess one faith. Though many languages were spoken, all heard the same message. The Church, filled with the Holy Spirit, "renews the face of the earth," a refrain echoed in this week's psalm. In the second reading St. Paul reproves the Christians in Corinth about divisions that had arisen in their community. But the Church cannot be divided, he explains, because she is the body of Christ. Spiritual gifts shouldn't be a source of friction or competition. Rather, the variety of gifts expresses the rich diversity of Christian life, which benefits the whole community. In this week's Gospel we hear how the risen Lord imparts the Holy Spirit to the apostles on Easter Sunday. This isn't an alternative tradition to Pentecost, coming from another source. The Holy Spirit is a gift of Christ to his Church, which occurs more than once. In this instance the Holy Spirit is given specifically to the apostles, empowering them with the gift and authority to forgive sins. It is, as it were, a private revelation between Jesus and the apostles. The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, on the other hand, is a thoroughly public manifestation of the risen Christ acting in and through his Church. Key verse: "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body." (1 Cor 12:13) Catechism of the Catholic Church: "The Church is one because of her 'soul': 'It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the entire Church, who brings about that wonderful communion of the faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle of the Church's unity.' Unity is of the essence of the Church" (No. 813). Pope Francis: "Faith is first of all a gift we have received. But in order to bear fruit, God's grace always demands our openness to him, our free and tangible response. Christ comes to bring us the mercy of a God who saves. We are asked to trust in him, to correspond to the gift of his love with a good life, made up of actions motivated by faith and love" (Audience, April 24). Life application: Christ founded one Church, which exists in all its fullness in the Catholic Church. Certain elements of that one Church exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church; elements which "impel toward catholic unity" (Constitution on the Church, 8). As Catholics we should be exceedingly grateful for the fullness of the Christian life that's been given to us. It is an incredible gift and a big responsibility. Unity is a gift of the Holy Spirit and an essential mark of the Church. Pray for the unity of the Church and the whole human family, and the grace to share your faith with others. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Civil unions a destructive path It is with sadness and disappointment that the state of Colorado has taken a major step to redefine marriage, an institution which is the very bedrock of our society. While some celebrate this as a "civil right," it completely changes how society views the family in an unnatural, illogical way. The state has legislated to society that there is nothing distinctive or special about the union of one man and one woman, that it is outdated and somehow discriminatory. That it does not matter if a child is raised by a father and a mother and that the balance of masculinity and femininity each offers do not matter to a child's development. Redefining an essential, historical institution that has worked for millennia to suit a very small minority will lead us down a destructive path as lines are blurred and we no longer hold tried and true traditions with any special esteem or regard. Once a society abandons its traditions, we all lose in the end. Steve Howard Denver 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 303-715-2045. E-mail us at: editor@archden.org. Archdiocese to Livestream ordinations On May 18, Archbishop Samuel Aquila will ordain seven men to serve as priests in the Archdiocese of Denver. Being ordained are: Deacon Scott Bailey, Deacon Ronald Cattany, Deacon Arturo Chagala, Deacon José Aníbal Chicas-Guevara, Deacon William Clemence, Deacon-Brother John Ignatius, S.C.J., and Deacon-Brother Paul Kostka, S.C.J. The Mass will begin at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. As a service to those unable to physically attend the ordinations, the Mass will be broadcast live via the Livestream website at this address: http://new.livestream. com/accounts/3170708/ events/2091554. ARCHBISHOP AQUILA'S SCHEDULE May 15: Mass and confirmation, St. John the Evangelist Parish, Loveland (7 p.m.) May 16: Baccalaureate Mass, Bishop Machebeuf High School, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (7 p.m.) May 18: Priesthood ordination, Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (10 a.m.) May 19: Mass and confirmation, St. Jude Parish, Lakewood (11 a.m.)

• Cover