Archbishop Dolan's Thought for the Week

March 17, 2009 - Year of St. Paul

Feast of St. Patrick
 

Dear Friends united in love and service of Jesus Christ and His Church:

Did you get a chance to read it?

I know it’s technically addressed to us bishops, but, in this case I don’t mind you reading my mail!

What I’m talking about is the March 10 letter of Pope Benedict XVI in which he apologizes for the brouhaha caused by his remission of the excommunication of one of the four bishops illicitly ordained by the schismatic Marcel Lefebvre. You will recall that it was later discovered that this misguided man had denied the holocaust.

This letter is beautiful, humble, and moving.

Yes, we believe that, when articulating the timeless teachings of the Church in matters of faith and morals, the successor of St. Peter is protected from error. The action which moved the Holy Father to express his sorrow was hardly one of faith and morals.

All the same, to have the Vicar of Christ apologize to the world doesn’t happen everyday.

In doing so, Pope Benedict has given us all a sterling example.

He loves us as his spiritual family, a sacred unity. And, as you all know, the six most essential words in protecting that bond are, “I love you” and “I am sorry.”

We recall that Pope John Paul the Great, during the Jubilee year of 2000, apologized fifty-five times for mistakes the Church had made in the past.

In Pope Benedict’s apology, he eloquently brought up a point we all need to ponder. He pleads with us to re-focus on the real issues of the day. Listen:

“In our day, when in vast areas of the world the faith is in danger of dying out like a flame which no longer has fuel, our overriding priority is to make God present in the world, and to show men and women the way to God. Not just any god, but the God who spoke on Sinai - the God whose face we recognize in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. The real problem at this moment in our history is that God is disappearing from the human horizon, and, with the dimming of the light which comes from God, humanity is losing its bearings . . .”

Right on target, wouldn’t you agree?

There’s what should dominate and drive us: not the mistakes, the sins, the squabbles, the intramural bickering, but making God -- the God of Sinai, the God we see in Jesus -- present in the world!

I once heard a professor at Notre Dame comment, “I’d give anything if I could get this university as excited about the faith as they are about our football team!”

Or, as my first pastor told me, “The parish council usually only gets passionate if you talk about changing Sunday Mass times or school uniforms.”

What drives us? What excites us? What captivates us? A mistake in prudential judgment by the Bishop of Rome? Issues such as priestly celibacy or women-priests? A consolidation of a school? A bad call by a referee? Proposed changes in the Liturgy?

Or is it making God -- the God who revealed Himself on Mt. Sinai, and in His Son Jesus -- present in the world?

We know where Pope Benedict XVI stands.

We know where St. Patrick stood.

Where do we stand?

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan

To receive Archbishop Dolan's Thought for the Week, submit your name and e-mail address here .