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May 23 2008 - 05 Bishop Wenski Calls For Priority For The Poor In Senate Climate Change Debate

WASHINGTON – The chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace declared “a central moral measure of climate change legislation is how it touches the poor and vulnerable.” Speaking at a press briefing that included the sponsors of Senate climate change legislation (S. 2191) and interreligious leaders, Bishop Thomas Wenski said, “The real ‘inconvenient truth’ is that those who contribute least to climate change will be affected the most and have the least capacity to cope or escape. The poor and vulnerable are most likely to pay the price of inaction or unwise actions. We know from our everyday experience their lives, homes, children, and work are most at risk.”

“As Catholic bishops, we are not here to endorse the many details of this or any other legislation,” said Bishop Wenski, “but we welcome and support… leadership in lifting up and seriously addressing how climate change will disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable in our country and around the world.”

Bishop Wenski’s complete statement follows:

“Seven years ago, the U.S. Catholic bishops adopted a major statement on the moral dimensions of climate change, A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good. Pope Benedict XVI is making caring for creation and climate change central themes of his global leadership. The U.S. Catholic bishops insist that responding to climate change raises fundamental questions of morality and justice, fairness and shared sacrifice. As bishops, we lead a Church, not an interest group. We are not ‘the environmental movement at prayer.’ Rather we lead communities of faith that have been called to care for God’s creation and the poor since Genesis.

“We have called for principled, constructive, realistic and civil discussion on climate change. This essential and long overdue national debate is moving forward. For this, we can especially thank Senators Boxer, Lieberman and Warner who have exercised strong leadership and introduced this groundbreaking legislation. As Catholic bishops, we are not here to endorse the many details of this or any other legislation, but we welcome and support their leadership in lifting up and seriously addressing how climate change will disproportionately affect the poor and vulnerable in our country and around the world. This represents a significant advance on previous proposals. We are grateful for the hard work and renewed commitment this represents.

“As our Bishops’ Conference testified before Senator Boxer’s Committee,

‘The real “inconvenient truth” is that those who contribute least to climate change will be affected the most and have the least capacity to cope or escape. The poor and vulnerable are most likely to pay the price of inaction or unwise actions. We know from our everyday experience their lives, homes, children, and work are most at risk.’

“We have been working with our religious partners and with these Senate leaders to make clear that a central moral measure of climate change legislation is how it touches the poor and vulnerable. We particularly welcome the essential provisions which offer substantial resources and other much needed assistance to poor persons and poor countries for adaptation and mitigation of climate change. We will continue to work with these Senate leaders and others to build on and strengthen these essential commitments and to assure that those with the greatest needs receive the most help through effective, targeted and workable allocations and programs.

“As religious leaders we make a plea for strong, bi-partisan action on climate change which reflects the old-fashioned virtue of prudence and a genuine commitment to the common good. Protecting God’s creation and “the least of these” requires urgent, wise and bold action. We join our religious partners in working to advance this essential moral, national and global priority.”

May 23 2008 - 05 Visible Unity In Faith And Eucharistic Fellowship Stressed At Faith And Order Commission Meeting In Atlanta

WASHINGTON—The need for visible unity in faith and Eucharistic fellowship was stressed at the April 3-5 meeting of the Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches (NCC). The commission, which met at Morehouse College in Atlanta, inaugurated its 2008-2011 quadrennium at the meeting.

The official Catholic delegation to the commission included theologians Christopher Ruddy, Ph.D., of the University of St. Thomas, Holy Cross Father John Ford, of The Catholic University of America, and Barbara Sain, Ph.D., also of St. Thomas University.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, recently-elected General Secretary of the NCC and long-time participant in the Faith and Order Commission, noted the NCC’s commitment to Faith and Order Commission and challenged the members both to keep foremost the goal of visible unity in faith and Eucharistic fellowship and to assume greater responsibility for the work of the NCC.

Antonios (Tony) Kireopoulos, Ph.D., senior program director for the Commission, introduced the Executive Committee for the new quadrennium: Dr. Anton (Tony) Vrame (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America) chair; Aimee Moiso (Presbyterian Church USA),vice-chair; and Ruddy, representing the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCB), secretary.

The study groups for the 2008-2011 quadrennium are “Justice and Justification: Beyond the Dichotomies,” “Unity in Mission,” and “The Nature and Mission of the Church.”

Justice and Justification seeks points of integration among divergent ecclesial views on justification and justice. Unity in Mission looks at the various dimensions of the church’s mission in the world: proclamation, reconciliation, care and advocacy for the marginalized and neediest. The Nature and Mission of the Church study group examines and ultimately will offer a response to the World Council of Churches document on nature and mission, particularly from the perspective of ecumenism and ecclesial life in the United States.

Each study group is led by two co-conveners who will serve until permanent chairs are selected at the Commission meeting in October. The co-conveners for Justification and Justice are Dr. Terry Cross (Society for Pentecostal Studies) of Lee University, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Theresa Koernke of the Washington Theological Union. The co-conveners for Unity in Mission are Dr. Don Thorsen (Wesleyan Theological Society) of the Haggard School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University and Dr. Mitzi Budde (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) of Virginia Theological Seminary. The co-conveners for The Nature and Mission of the Church are Dr. Peter Bouteneff (Orthodox Church in America) of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and the Rev. Sophie Mathonnet-Vanderwell (Reformed Church in America) of the Second Reformed Church in Pella, Iowa.

The USCCB has participated in the Faith and Order Commission since 1968. Its next meeting will be October 16-18 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

May 23 2008 - 05 ‘Choosing To Forgive’ An Interfaith Religion Special To Air Sunday, June 8, On The Cbs Network

WASHINGTON – Choosing to Forgive, an interfaith religion special on the meaning and practice of forgiveness, will be broadcast Sunday, June 8 on the CBS Television Network. For exact airing time check your local station.

Choosing to Forgive presents the idea of forgiveness from both a religious and a scientific point of view. Several major faiths teach we must forgive those who do us wrong. In recent years, the subject has interested psychologists who have studied it as a potentially effective means of getting past wrongs and injustices.

This special presentation is produced in cooperation with the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission (IBC), including the National Council of Churches, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), a consortium of Jewish organizations and the Islamic Society of North America.

“IBC suggests a variety of ideas to the CBS production staff. We look for topics that relate to many faiths. Forgiveness seemed a natural topic for all,” said Ellen McCloskey, assistant director of the USCCB’s Office of Digital Media.

The broadcast features Robert Enright, Ph.D., author and professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who has championed the cause of forgiveness therapy as a scientific tool. He and his wife have introduced forgiveness education into the curricula of elementary schools (the first in Belfast, Northern Ireland; and then Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin) as a way of training children to cope peacefully with stress and challenge.

The broadcast also includes interviews with several individuals who have moved successfully in life despite terrifying experiences. Some have done so through an act of faith and others have had therapy.

Lynn McGuinn and Talat Hamdani lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center; Eric Wurzel, whose mother deserted him as a child, became addicted to drugs and alcohol for 30 years and was able to forgive himself and his family; Rev. Walt Everett, whose son was murdered in 1987, befriended the killer over time and the two have appeared together to tell their stories and speak about forgiveness.

Ada Wolf's son was murdered by an off-duty airman in 1965, and yet grew over time to forgive and admire the killer; and Grace Roidt suffered for more than 30 years before talking to forgiveness therapists about her dysfunctional family and an older brother who raped her. Grace was able to get past the crimes of her youth with the help of Suzanne Freedman, Ph.D., now an associate professor at the University of Northern Iowa, who convinced her to try.

The special also includes a visit to St. James Catholic School in Madison, to see first graders learn the basic steps in forgiveness. The program hopes to aid them in choosing to forgive throughout their lives.

John P. Blessington is the executive producer and Ted Homes is the producer of Choosing to Forgive.