Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
For Immediate Release
November 23, 2010
For more information
Contact: Pat Svacina
(817) 560-3300
Cell: (817) 996-9609
Bishop Kevin Vann will begin blogging on the first Sunday of Advent, November 28.
On the blog, the “Fort Worth Shepherd,” Bishop Vann will share his experiences, thoughts and observations as he travels the diocese, the country, as well as his visits to Rome.
“The First Sunday of Advent will see a new „venture‟ for me,‟ Bishop Vann says. “I will begin officially that day a „Blog‟ that can be accessed through our diocesan webpage.
“This has been at the suggestion and urging of a number of people, both here in Fort Worth and around the country,” the Bishop says. “I hope this will be a forum where I can communicate some of my personal reflections and thoughts on our faith as I travel around our diocese and to other meetings in this country and elsewhere.
“Advent always is a beautiful season of faith as we reflect first of all on the second coming of Christ, and then prepare for the celebration of His First coming. It is also a new Church year, so it is a graced moment to begin in faith something new! This is will be a „work in progress‟, as is life, with the help of God!”
Bishop Vann‟s blog heeds a called issued to U.S. Catholic bishops at their fall assembly the week of November 15 “to embrace social media in order to effectively evangelize the digital continent.”
In a report to bishops during the meeting, Bishop Ronald Herzog of Alexandria, Louisiana, a member of the USCCB Communications Committee, said the Catholic Church must employ social media to evangelize just as the printing press was used by the Church centuries ago to mass print the Bible.
“Although social media has been around for less than 10 years, it doesn‟t have the makings of a fad,” said Bishop Herzog. “We‟re being told that it is causing as
fundamental a shift in communication patterns and behavior as the printing press did 500 years ago. And I don‟t think I have to remind you of what happened when the Catholic Church was slow to adapt to that new technology,” he said, referencing the Protestant Reformation.
Bishop Herzog described the communication habits of young people today, which he noted have moved beyond e-mail to the world of social media.
“If the Church is not on their mobile device, it doesn‟t exist,” he said. “The Church does not have to change its teachings to reach young people, but we must deliver it to them in a new way.” He compared this outreach to evangelizing a new digital continent, and said the Church has serious challenges to overcome, noting, “Most of us don‟t understand the culture.”
Bishop Herzog said the egalitarian nature of the Internet makes it particularly challenging to the Church.
“Anyone can create a blog,” he noted. “Everyone‟s opinion is valid. And if a question or contradiction is posted, the digital natives expect a response and something resembling a conversation. We can choose not to enter into that cultural mindset, but we do so at great peril to the Church‟s credibility and approachability in the minds of the natives, those who are growing up in this new culture. This is a new form of pastoral ministry.”
A USCCB survey found that a growing number of dioceses throughout the U.S. are employing social media to communicate.
Bishop Vann will open his blog with a greeting: “Welcome to my blog! As shepherd of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, my travels take me to every corner of our local Church, around the United States, and sometimes as far away as Rome, Italy. Through the „Shepherd of Fort Worth‟ blog, I wish to share with you important information about our diocese, the wonderful spirit of our Catholic faith, the people I encounter, and the blessings of daily life.”
In addition to Bishop Vann’s blog, The Fort Worth Diocese has a major presence in the digital media world. The diocesan website is at www.fwdioc.org. The North Texas Catholic web edition is at www.fwdioc.org/ntc and the diocesan Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Worth-TX/Roman-Catholic-Diocese-of-Fort-Worth.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
What the Pope really said about condoms
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=21465
VATICAN CITY, November 22 (CNA/EWTN News) - Pope Benedict XVI’s comments on condoms in a new book-interview have whipped the media into a frenzy.
Many reports interpreted the words as a dramatic shift from Church teaching, but experts say that nothing has changed.
On the afternoon of Nov. 20, the Vatican's semi-official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano released a series of excerpts from the new book-interview called "Light of the World: The Pope, The Church and the Signs of the Times," by the German journalist Peter Seewald.
The newspaper, jumping the scheduled world release, chose to publish only two paragraphs of what is a more extensive response from the Pope to the question of whether the use of condoms could be justified to confront the problem of AIDS transmission.
This fragmented presentation did not give a full view of the Pope's words. But it said enough to lead some international media sources to conjecture that the pontiff had made a "U-turn" on Catholic teaching against contraception.
The actual text of the Pope’s remarks extends over two full pages. It begins with interviewer Peter Seewald asking the Pope about his statement to a reporter during his March 2009 trip to Africa that condoms are not a solution to the AIDS pandemic.
The Pope responds by reaffirming his answer. “People can get condoms when they want them anyway,” the Pope told Seewald. “But this just goes to show that condoms alone do not resolve the question itself. More needs to happen.”
Secular thinking about AIDS involves a “fixation on the condom” that implies a trivialization of sexuality, he said. As a result, sexuality is no longer seen as “an expression of love, but only a sort of drug that people administer to themselves.”
The remark that caused such a stir follows this. The Pope mentioned a situation in which condom use could be positive but still an immoral act. He used the example of condom use by male prostitutes.
Pope Benedict said: “There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants. But it is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection. That can really lie only in a humanization of sexuality.”
Seewald followed this up with a question about whether the Church is “actually not opposed in principle to the use of condoms.”
Pope Benedict responded, "She of course does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality."
These words — and extremely varied interpretations given to them by commentators — have sent shock waves out from Rome to the world.
But it is apparent that the Pope’s words have been misunderstood or worse, badly distorted. While he said clearly that the use of condoms "is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection," he conceded that they could be used "in the intention of reducing the risk of infection."
Unable to wait for further explanations, the Australian daily, The Age, reported: "Pope lifts ban on condoms." This became the common theme in the reporting.
However, the Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said Nov. 21 that "the reasoning of the Pope certainly cannot be defined as a revolutionary turning point."
He said that, instead, it offers an "original contribution" and a "far-sighted vision" of taking small steps to "a more human and responsible exercise of sexuality."
Janet Smith, an ethicist at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, published a statement on the website of Ignatius Press, the English language publisher of Seewald's “Light of the World.”
She said the Pope "is simply observing that for some homosexual prostitutes the use of a condom may indicate an awakening of a moral sense; an awakening that sexual pleasure is not the highest value, but that we must take care that we harm no one with our choices.
The Pope, she added, is not talking about morality, but the psychological state of those who make use of condoms. "If such individuals are using condoms to avoid harming another, they may eventually realize that sexual acts between members of the same sex are inherently harmful since they are not in accord with human nature.
"The Holy Father does not in any way think the use of condoms is a part of the solution to reducing the risk of AIDS. As he explicitly states, the true solution involves 'humanizing sexuality'.”
A former student of the Pope's, Father Joseph Fessio, editor-in-chief of Ignatius Press, said the Pope's comment on condoms is "very carefully qualified."
“It would be wrong to say, ‘Pope Approves Condoms'," Fr. Fessio said. "He’s saying it’s immoral, but in an individual case the use of a condom could be an awakening to someone that he’s got to be more conscious of his actions.’’
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver, writing in “On the Square,” the blog for the magazine First Things, explained: “The Church holds that condom use is morally flawed by its nature, and that, equally important, condom use does not prevent AIDS and can actually enable its spread by creating a false sense of security.”
"In the context of the book's later discussion of contraception and Catholic teaching on sexuality, the Pope's comments are morally insightful,” Archbishop Chaput continued. “But taken out of context, they can easily be inferred as approving condoms under certain circumstances," he said.
Archbishop Chaput said the Pope’s aides should have been better prepared for the controversy over his remarks.
“One might reasonably expect the Holy Father's assistants to have an advance communications plan in place, and to involve bishops and Catholic media in a timely way to explain and defend the Holy Father's remarks,” he said. “Instead, the Vatican's own semi-official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, violated the book's publication embargo and released excerpts of the content early. Not surprisingly, news media instantly zeroed in on the issue of condoms, and the rest of this marvelous book already seems like an afterthought.”
Seewald himself is expected to explain his viewpoint and give more context from the interview in a press conference at the Vatican on Nov. 23.
VATICAN CITY, November 22 (CNA/EWTN News) - Pope Benedict XVI’s comments on condoms in a new book-interview have whipped the media into a frenzy.
Many reports interpreted the words as a dramatic shift from Church teaching, but experts say that nothing has changed.
On the afternoon of Nov. 20, the Vatican's semi-official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano released a series of excerpts from the new book-interview called "Light of the World: The Pope, The Church and the Signs of the Times," by the German journalist Peter Seewald.
The newspaper, jumping the scheduled world release, chose to publish only two paragraphs of what is a more extensive response from the Pope to the question of whether the use of condoms could be justified to confront the problem of AIDS transmission.
This fragmented presentation did not give a full view of the Pope's words. But it said enough to lead some international media sources to conjecture that the pontiff had made a "U-turn" on Catholic teaching against contraception.
The actual text of the Pope’s remarks extends over two full pages. It begins with interviewer Peter Seewald asking the Pope about his statement to a reporter during his March 2009 trip to Africa that condoms are not a solution to the AIDS pandemic.
The Pope responds by reaffirming his answer. “People can get condoms when they want them anyway,” the Pope told Seewald. “But this just goes to show that condoms alone do not resolve the question itself. More needs to happen.”
Secular thinking about AIDS involves a “fixation on the condom” that implies a trivialization of sexuality, he said. As a result, sexuality is no longer seen as “an expression of love, but only a sort of drug that people administer to themselves.”
The remark that caused such a stir follows this. The Pope mentioned a situation in which condom use could be positive but still an immoral act. He used the example of condom use by male prostitutes.
Pope Benedict said: “There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants. But it is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection. That can really lie only in a humanization of sexuality.”
Seewald followed this up with a question about whether the Church is “actually not opposed in principle to the use of condoms.”
Pope Benedict responded, "She of course does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality."
These words — and extremely varied interpretations given to them by commentators — have sent shock waves out from Rome to the world.
But it is apparent that the Pope’s words have been misunderstood or worse, badly distorted. While he said clearly that the use of condoms "is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection," he conceded that they could be used "in the intention of reducing the risk of infection."
Unable to wait for further explanations, the Australian daily, The Age, reported: "Pope lifts ban on condoms." This became the common theme in the reporting.
However, the Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said Nov. 21 that "the reasoning of the Pope certainly cannot be defined as a revolutionary turning point."
He said that, instead, it offers an "original contribution" and a "far-sighted vision" of taking small steps to "a more human and responsible exercise of sexuality."
Janet Smith, an ethicist at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, published a statement on the website of Ignatius Press, the English language publisher of Seewald's “Light of the World.”
She said the Pope "is simply observing that for some homosexual prostitutes the use of a condom may indicate an awakening of a moral sense; an awakening that sexual pleasure is not the highest value, but that we must take care that we harm no one with our choices.
The Pope, she added, is not talking about morality, but the psychological state of those who make use of condoms. "If such individuals are using condoms to avoid harming another, they may eventually realize that sexual acts between members of the same sex are inherently harmful since they are not in accord with human nature.
"The Holy Father does not in any way think the use of condoms is a part of the solution to reducing the risk of AIDS. As he explicitly states, the true solution involves 'humanizing sexuality'.”
A former student of the Pope's, Father Joseph Fessio, editor-in-chief of Ignatius Press, said the Pope's comment on condoms is "very carefully qualified."
“It would be wrong to say, ‘Pope Approves Condoms'," Fr. Fessio said. "He’s saying it’s immoral, but in an individual case the use of a condom could be an awakening to someone that he’s got to be more conscious of his actions.’’
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver, writing in “On the Square,” the blog for the magazine First Things, explained: “The Church holds that condom use is morally flawed by its nature, and that, equally important, condom use does not prevent AIDS and can actually enable its spread by creating a false sense of security.”
"In the context of the book's later discussion of contraception and Catholic teaching on sexuality, the Pope's comments are morally insightful,” Archbishop Chaput continued. “But taken out of context, they can easily be inferred as approving condoms under certain circumstances," he said.
Archbishop Chaput said the Pope’s aides should have been better prepared for the controversy over his remarks.
“One might reasonably expect the Holy Father's assistants to have an advance communications plan in place, and to involve bishops and Catholic media in a timely way to explain and defend the Holy Father's remarks,” he said. “Instead, the Vatican's own semi-official newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, violated the book's publication embargo and released excerpts of the content early. Not surprisingly, news media instantly zeroed in on the issue of condoms, and the rest of this marvelous book already seems like an afterthought.”
Seewald himself is expected to explain his viewpoint and give more context from the interview in a press conference at the Vatican on Nov. 23.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
CWA Poll: Congress 2011 Needs to Focus on Economy, Jobs, Morality
New poll suggests Americans are most concerned with the decline of the economy and morality and values
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- A new poll co-commissioned by Concerned Women for America (CWA) and conducted by the polling company, inc./WomanTrend points to a huge task facing the new Congress. In a survey of 842 Americans who voted in yesterday's elections, the overwhelming majority want the government to stop spending immediately and focus on the economic decline as well as the decline of morality and values.
"As members of Congress and Republicans begin to consider their agenda for both the lame duck session of Congress and 2011 it is important to reflect upon the clear priorities of the American people and particularly American women. Both groups clearly stated in our poll that they are overwhelmingly fed up with the out-of-control government spending that has run rampant in the past two years and threatens the livelihood of many of our nation's families," said Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America. "Even voters who once supported Barack Obama have changed course and voted for fiscal and social conservatives."
Of those surveyed, 47% voted for Barack Obama and 46% voted for John McCain in the last election; 45% identified themselves as conservatives, 25% liberals and 28% moderates. When asked if the government should stop spending now or keep spending to address the needs of the current generation, 64% (61% women) of respondents said to stop government spending now in order to stop increases in the national debt.
And when asked about the most important challenges facing future generations, 75% said economic decline. Coming in at a close second at 62% (63% women) said the decline of morality and values.
"Americans want an ethical government that spends wisely and protects traditional values and morals," continued Nance. "Americans, especially women, have high expectations for the new Congress. Half of the voters yesterday went into the polls feeling concerned, while another third described themselves as frustrated - those are strong emotions that demand the country do a complete about face."
"Yesterday's wins are only a start. As Americans continue to face unemployment, declining wages, and foreclosures, the work to undo the last two years of failed policies, rampant government spending, and the legalization of taxpayer-funded abortion, begins now. Concerned Women for America is prepared to remind Washington of their campaign promises."
To speak with Penny Nance, please contact Kristina Hernandez at 703-373-0632 or khernandez@crcpublicrelations.com.
Christian Newswire
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- A new poll co-commissioned by Concerned Women for America (CWA) and conducted by the polling company, inc./WomanTrend points to a huge task facing the new Congress. In a survey of 842 Americans who voted in yesterday's elections, the overwhelming majority want the government to stop spending immediately and focus on the economic decline as well as the decline of morality and values.
"As members of Congress and Republicans begin to consider their agenda for both the lame duck session of Congress and 2011 it is important to reflect upon the clear priorities of the American people and particularly American women. Both groups clearly stated in our poll that they are overwhelmingly fed up with the out-of-control government spending that has run rampant in the past two years and threatens the livelihood of many of our nation's families," said Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America. "Even voters who once supported Barack Obama have changed course and voted for fiscal and social conservatives."
Of those surveyed, 47% voted for Barack Obama and 46% voted for John McCain in the last election; 45% identified themselves as conservatives, 25% liberals and 28% moderates. When asked if the government should stop spending now or keep spending to address the needs of the current generation, 64% (61% women) of respondents said to stop government spending now in order to stop increases in the national debt.
And when asked about the most important challenges facing future generations, 75% said economic decline. Coming in at a close second at 62% (63% women) said the decline of morality and values.
"Americans want an ethical government that spends wisely and protects traditional values and morals," continued Nance. "Americans, especially women, have high expectations for the new Congress. Half of the voters yesterday went into the polls feeling concerned, while another third described themselves as frustrated - those are strong emotions that demand the country do a complete about face."
"Yesterday's wins are only a start. As Americans continue to face unemployment, declining wages, and foreclosures, the work to undo the last two years of failed policies, rampant government spending, and the legalization of taxpayer-funded abortion, begins now. Concerned Women for America is prepared to remind Washington of their campaign promises."
To speak with Penny Nance, please contact Kristina Hernandez at 703-373-0632 or khernandez@crcpublicrelations.com.
Christian Newswire
Americans Remember Health Care Betrayal at the Polls
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- Representative Bart Stupak and the majority of his collaborators who provided the votes for the pro-abortion health care bill were sent packing as a result of voter outrage culminating in yesterday's election: Representatives Alan Mollohan, Steve Driehaus, Baron Hill, Chris Carney, Kathy Dahlkemper, Marcy Kaptur, Charlie Wilson, Brad Ellsworth, Jim Oberstar and John Boccieri. Only Representatives Marcy Kaptur, Joe Donnelly and Jerry Costello escaped voters' wrath.
"Last night's vote was crystal clear: Americans do not want their money to pay for abortions," said Concerned Women for America Director of Legislation and Public Policy Shari Rendall.
According to Concerned Women for America CEO Penny Nance, selling their votes to pass the controversial health care bill most Americans oppose was their ticket home. "Yesterday's vote showed that Americans realized that President Obama's executive order was just a sham to ram through this unpopular bill."
Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.
Christian Newswire
"Last night's vote was crystal clear: Americans do not want their money to pay for abortions," said Concerned Women for America Director of Legislation and Public Policy Shari Rendall.
According to Concerned Women for America CEO Penny Nance, selling their votes to pass the controversial health care bill most Americans oppose was their ticket home. "Yesterday's vote showed that Americans realized that President Obama's executive order was just a sham to ram through this unpopular bill."
Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.
Christian Newswire
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