Denver Catholic

2 I CATHOLIC LIFE MARCH 12, 2014 I DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ARCHBISHOP'S COLUMN MOST REV. SAMUEL J. AQUILA We are now in the second week of preparing ourselves to welcome the Risen Christ, and for many of us, our efforts to grow in holiness occur within our family. So as we move deeper into Lent, I encourage you to focus on renewing your family life, especially the spiritual aspects. Perhaps you do not know his story, but Karol Wojtyla Jr., who later became Pope John Paul II, started on his path to holiness because of his father. When he was only 9 years old, Karol, or "Lolek," lost his mother Emilia to a weak heart and failing kidneys. Despite his deep grief, his father, Lt. Karol Wojtyla Sr., resolved that he would dedicate himself to raising his youngest son. Lt. Karol suspected that "Lolek" would be a special child. And so, for 12 years, he committed himself to loving and forming his son with his whole being. Friends of the family would see them together constantly. They ate together, went to the movies and for walks along the Sawa River. They also spent their time discussing and learning about Polish history, literature, sports, music and entertainment. In "John Paul II: A Life of Grace," author Renzo Allegri ex- plains that Lt. Karol was "a very attentive, generous and self- less man" who knew how to adapt to the needs of his son. He also led by example in the spiritual realm. The pair would attend Mass in the morning and then make a trip to pray at the church later in the afternoon. Lolek's school- mates would often see the two Wojtylas kneeling next to one another, absorbed in prayer. This Lent, we all have the opportunity to recommit to our vocation, whether we are a mother or father, a son or daughter, a priest or sister. Lent is a time when we seek to purify our lives so that we are able to fully embrace our iden- tity as sons or daughters of the Father. Lent even contains a revelation of our identity as adopt- ed children of the Father within the progression from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. If we live Lent well, we be- come purified of those things which keep us estranged from God, and then, when Jesus suffers death and rises from the dead on Easter, our true identity is revealed and our adop- tion is completed. But you might ask, "What can I do?" Those of you who are fathers—physically or spiritually—already have excellent examples in Lt. Karol and St. Joseph. For those of you who are graced to have the role of mother, I urge you to look to our Mother Mary. At the same time, all of us should seek to grow as sons and daughters of God the Father. We can do this by growing in love and familiarity with Jesus, and by asking for and foster- ing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Just one week ago, Pope Francis wrote a letter to families everywhere, asking them to pray "intensely to the Holy Spir- it" for the Synod on the Family, "because is dedicated in a special way to you." In these difficult times for the family, all of the Church should unite in supporting and raising-up holy families that are grounded in their love for God. This effort needs a solid foundation of prayer. With God's grace, we will see more men and women cou- rageously answering the call to selflessly give their lives to their families. If we are generous, we will be blessed with more men like Lt. Karol, whom Blessed John Paul II paid tribute to in his 1996 book "Gift and Mystery." "By profession he was a soldier and, after my mother's death, his life became one of constant prayer. Sometimes I would wake up during the night and find my father on his knees, just as I would see him kneeling in the parish church. We never spoke about a vocation to the priesthood, but his example was in a way my first seminary, a kind of domestic seminary." Fathers and mothers form the hearts of their children by their example. May your homes this Lent be blessed through a deepened practice of our Catholic faith! Let Lent purify your family 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 Editor Roxanne King Business Manager Michael O'Neill BY NISSA LAPOINT Gov. John Hickenlooper's di- rect support for gay "marriage" was quietly announced last week through a same-sex "mar- riage" advocacy group's new campaign called Why Marriage Matters Colorado. The Colorado Democrat has been a vocal backer of legalized civil unions, which he signed in- to law last year. He also support- ed a 2006 initiative, Referendum I, which legalized domestic partnerships in the state. During that campaign, he emphasized that domestic part- nerships would suffice to grant homosexual couples the same rights as married couples. The same year voters passed Amend- ment 43 that defined marriage in the Colorado Constitution as be- tween one man and one woman. His first public comments as governor in support of same- sex "marriage" came in the form of a March 3 statement at the end of a media release sent by One Colorado, an advocacy and lobbying group for same-sex "marriage" policy. "If all men and women tru- ly have the inalienable right to pursue happiness, and if all people are created equal, then by extension of law, logic and love, every adult couple should also have the freedom to join in marriage," Hickenlooper said in the statement. A fundamental redefinition "It has become clear that in Colorado, as in other states, the push for domestic partnerships, civil unions, has always been about changing the meaning of marriage, despite promises to the contrary," said Dave Ueb- bing, chancellor of the Archdio- cese of Denver. "The reason that recognizing same-sex 'marriage' is so import- ant is that it makes fundamental changes to the structure of soci- ety. By recognizing unions that do not include both a mother and a father, the state redefines what a family is and gives finan- cial and other forms of support to arrangements that are not as beneficial for children as a moth- er - father family are. This disad- vantage is borne out by recent analyses of census data." The governor's spokesman, Eric Brown, told the Denver Catholic Register that Hicken- looper "has supported the same rights for everyone since and before his time in public office. He's spoken at gay marriage rallies and he's long supported gay couples receiving the same treatment as everyone else. "Marriage is a way gay cou- ples can get the same tax treat- ment and other rights as every- one else," Brown claimed. "No one is suggesting that churches or other faith-based organiza- tions be required to marry peo- ple they don't want to." Let's talk about consequences Karna Swanson, communica- tions director for the Archdio- cese of Denver, urged "a serious, sober, civil discussion about what the consequences of re- defining the structure of the family look like," noting that the Church "is firmly committed to the traditional definition of marriage as between a man and woman, and firmly committed to marriage as the backbone of family. "We will continue to work toward strengthening both the institution of marriage and the family, and to preserve both in our culture and in our laws," she said. Hickenlooper's statement comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by nine gay couples chal- lenging the state's voter-passed amendment defining marriage between one man and one woman. The lawsuit, filed Feb. 19 in Denver court, claims same- sex couples are treated as sec- ond-class citizens. On Feb. 27, Hickenlooper al- so signed into law Senate Bill 19, which sanctioned the ability of same-sex couples "married" out-of-state to file joint state income taxes by removing all language referring to marriage between a husband and wife. The governor is running for re-election this year. Governor comes out in support of same-sex 'marriage' PHOTO BY WIN MCNAMEE/GETTY IMAGES COLORADO Gov. John Hickenlooper speaks at the National Press Club Jan. 15 in Washington, D.C. Hick- enlooper delivered the annual 'State of the State' address prior to taking questions.

• Cover