EASTER MESSAGE

Perhaps one of the most annoying experiences in life these days is being put “on hold.” We make a call to the pharmacy, or supermarket, or even our parish—and we are asked if we will hold for a moment. We count the minutes that seem like hours as our blood pressure and frustration rise. We whisper: “What a waste of my time!” When the mind-numbing muzak or commercial on the other end of the line fades, we wonder: “Is anyone on the other end of the line? Are you still there?”

For so many of us today, it seems that our lives are often “on hold.” Economic constraints mean that many will not be able to buy their own home, and are afraid of losing the one they have. We worry that we will not be able to hold on to our jobs. Those who have worked long and hard to enjoy their golden years must now continue to work while they put retirement on hold.

If we are fortunate enough to have work these days, we ask: How do I hold together all the demands of my work, family, friendships, and religious commitments? We wonder: If I have no work, how will I hold on to this house? How will I be able to get to work if I cannot hold on to this car? Then there is the gnawing uncertainty: How do I hold the members of this family together? How do I hold myself together when I often feel like I’m coming apart at the seams?

When so much of our life is put on hold, we begin to feel stuck in a never-ending cycle of monotonous waiting, a permanent holding pattern. Like those white-knuckle passengers in an airplane who grow more anxious as the pilot circles above a fog-laced airport in a holding pattern, our fears can escalate when we feel like we are holding on for dear life.

For many of us, our concluding Lent has helped us take a closer look at our own personal “holding pattern.” Holy Week and Easter vividly reminds us that the whole life, ministry, suffering, passion and dying of Jesus is one of self-giving, self-emptying. He does not cling, he does not grasp. Rather, he empties himself. His pattern of holding is one of non-holding, standing before his Father with nothing in his hands but the promise of unbounded joy.

Recently I was privileged to be in Washington, DC for the large Immigration Reform Rally. I was deeply impressed by some 200,000 people—most of them immigrants, documented and without documents—who themselves have been in a holding pattern. All are anxious to leave their holding pattern in the shadows, and to find a path forward to legal residency in our country. The stories are difficult—so many mixed families, some members of a family U.S. citizens, and some not. The danger of separation among family members keeps them in a holding pattern of fear.

At times such as these when we feel that life is on hold, it is all the more important than ever to hold on to what really matters. It is our hope in the Risen Christ that is alone worth holding on to. And learning his example of self-emptying makes us realize that we, like him, are held, all of us together, in a love beyond imagining.

On this feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ this year, let us pray for the grace and strength to move beyond our holding pattern and unite ourselves ever more fully and deeply in the risen life of him who has broken the bonds of fear, sin, and death!

CHRISM MASS 2010, PRIESTS HONORED

On Monday night of Holy Week, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels was overflowing with priests, deacons, women and men religious, seminarians, and all of God's people for our annual Chrism Mass. For me, the Chrism Mass is one of the most meaningful Liturgies of the entire year because the full unity of the Body of Christ is so evident among all who are present.

During the Chrism Mass, the Holy Oils used in administering the Sacraments during the course of the year are blessed: the Oil of Catechumens, the Oil of the Sick, and the Sacred Chrism.

Almost 500 priests and 60 permanent deacons concelebrate this Mass with the Archbishop and Auxiliary Bishops showing vividly the gift of Holy Orders to the Church and to our Archdiocese.

Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, also honored 14 of our priests with special Papal Honors. These were announced at the end of the Chrism Mass.

Three Monsignors who had been Chaplains of His Holiness for many years were elevated to Prelates of Honor to His Holiness: Monsignors Helmut A. Hefner, Timothy J. Dyer, and Michael W. Meyers.

Eleven priests were elevated to Chaplain to His Holiness with the title of Monsignor: Monsignors James R. Forsen, Richard M. Martini, Sabato A. Pilato, Lorenzo Miranda, Richard G. Krekelberg, Antonio Cacciapuoti, Thomas M. Acton, Jon F. Majarucon, Gerald McSorley, Robert J. McNamara, and Nestor Rebong.

A large number of laity across the Archdiocese will be honored in the near future with either the Benemerenti Medal or the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal in recognition of their outstanding discipleship with Jesus Christ and their service of the Church here in our Archdiocese.

Having the newly blessed Holy Oils taken to all 288 parishes this week helps strengthen those bonds of unity in diversity which so signify our Local Church of Los Angeles.

May your sharing in the Sacred Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday lead you to the fullness of God's graces on Easter Sunday!

THANK YOU, CARDINAL RATZINGER

While I have no personal information on some of the specific allegations against our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, when he served the Church of Munich in Germany, I am able to assert without hesitation the action steps which he undertook in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith when he served as Prefect of that Congregation.

Beginning in that dark year of 2002, the then Cardinal Ratzinger responded quickly and affirmatively to all of our requests for assistance here in the United States.

Recall that Canon 1324, par. 4, states that in Canon Law a minor is a person under the age of 16 years. However, in the civil laws of the United States, a minor is deemed to be a person under the age of 18 years. After we brought this gap to the attention of Cardinal Ratzinger, the canonical age was also raised to 18 years to accommodate civil law in our country and in other countries.

With respect to the processes of dealing with cases of alleged sexual abuse by priests in our Archdiocese, Cardinal Ratzinger and his Congregation responded swiftly and gave us advice on how to proceed with each of these cases. We never had delays or a lack of proper response.

Whenever I proposed that a certain priest be returned to the lay state and no longer serve as a priest, the Congregation responded quickly and in accord with my recommendations. Whether the priest petitioned himself for a return to the lay state, or whether I insisted upon his return to the lay state, Cardinal Ratzinger and the Congregation responded in favor of the Church, not of the priest individually.

Without the proactive and helpful assistance of Cardinal Ratzinger and the Congregation over these years, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles would never have been able to move forward aggressively to remove priests from ministry who were proved to be guilty of the sexual abuse of minors.

The Congregation continues forward with the same vision and policies of then Cardinal Ratzinger, and I am grateful to the present Prefect and staff of the Congregation for their proactive efforts to assist us in our local Dioceses and Archdioceses to remove from active ministry any priest or religious found guilty of the sexual abuse of minors.

We have had a large number of former priests and religious returned to the lay state under the auspices of Cardinal Ratzinger and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Without those insights by the Congregation, many guilty priests would still be considered priests in our Church. That is no longer the case.

All of the procedures and processes which Cardinal Ratzinger implemented over the years have helped me and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles resolve many unfortunate cases in a manner to make certain that the Church is a safe place for all peoples, especially children and young people.

IMMIGRATION RALLY -- WASHINGTON, DC

On Sunday March 21, some 200,000 people gathered in Washington DC for a Rally in favor of immigration reform legislation.

This Rally was historic because it occurred during the final hours of debate about health care reform. Yet, these thousands of people came to the Capitol Mall to show their support for all of our immigrant brothers and sisters who are seeking a legal path to legal residency here in our country.

It was impressive to see people from almost all the States of the Union here to urge President Obama and the Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform.

Health care reform passed on Sunday night, and brought millions of people out of the shadows of living without health care coverage. We have reached out to them precisely to include them fully into American life and protections.

Now we need to do the same thing with our millions of immigrants who are living in the shadows of our society but without protections and guarantees--because they do not yet possess legal status. We need to devote ourselves to bring about a comprehensive bill which will bring them into full participation in the life of our country.

I am encouraged by the words and promises of President Obama and the Senate leadership:


January 27, 2010

In his State of the Union speech to Congress January 27, President Obama reaffirmed his Administration’s commitment to immigration reform, calling on Congress to “continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system to secure our borders, enforce our laws and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation.” In comments made subsequent to the President’s speech, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) restated his commitment to moving immigration reform this year: “It is something we are committed to do. And we will do it as soon as we can.” Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) offered that he was making “good progress” in negotiating a bipartisan bill with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

For further information and ways you can participate, please visit the website for Justice for Immigrants: www.justiceforimmigrants.org

I am hopeful that all of us who are Catholics can move together towards an immigration reform that will bring respect, hope, and a new future for the millions who work so hard to make our country so great.

God's blessings be upon all of us!

Photos: CNS/Nancy Wiechec

OUR INCREDIBLE CATHOLIC YOUTH!

Today as part of our annual Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, CA we had 15,000 young Catholics gather for a day of reflection, prayer, workshops, and sharing.

There is nothing as encouraging for our Church than to see such dynamic faith being expressed in the lives of these terrific young men and women. Most came as members of parish youth groups, and many wore distinctive t-shirts with all kinds of Christian messages emblazoned on them.

At the Mass in the Arena, two young people gave personal testimony about how God has guided them through difficult family situations at home. Both Samantha and Daniel spoke about the difficulties they had growing up with various tensions and rifts within their families. But they also shared the great power of God's love and grace working through those problems, and how their faith in God's love and mercy helped them through the years. Really inspiring!!


Our seminarians from St. John's Seminary put on workshops about vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and the seminarians shared their own journeys and stories--how God led them to seek a life of service as a priest. At the end of our Mass I asked those young men present who felt that maybe Jesus was calling them to consider serving as a priest to stand--and there was an overwhelming number who stood. And to the great roar of applause by thousands of their peers. We concluded Mass with everyone praying the prayer for priestly vocations.

All Catholics should be both encouraged and hopeful about our Catholic young people and their awesome role in our Church now, and as great leaders in the coming years. With them, Jesus Christ is front and center in their lives and they aren't afraid to shout that "good news" out loud for all to hear!

CATHOLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION

When I first came to Los Angeles in the Fall of 1985, it was evident that fewer and fewer Religious Sisters, Brothers, and Priests were available to teach in our Catholic grammar and high schools. If we were to replace all of these Religious with lay teachers, the cost of salaries would go up greatly, and the tuition would have to be raised as well.

I was concerned that the future of our great Catholic schools in the Archdiocese could be in jeopardy if we could not provide tuition assistance to many thousands of our children and young people.

In 1987 the Catholic Education Foundation [CEF] was established to build up an endowment fund, and the income from that fund would be used to offer scholarships for our children and young people in our Catholic Schools.

Since 1987, the CEF has made over 103,000 tuition awards to students for a total amount of over $100 million dollars. For most of those students, the CEF tuition awards are what keep them in our Catholic Schools.

I am most grateful to the Board of Directors of our CEF for their commitment over 23 years, and their willingness to make certain that these tuition awards are made available year after year. It is so impressive to have so many Board members donate year after year so that our Catholic Schools can remain viable and affordable for all of our families.

One of the greatest efforts of the Catholic Church in this country dating back to 1789 is the establishment of our extraordinary Catholic Schools.

I am personally committed to make certain that our Catholic Schools remain viable for as many Catholic families as possible. So many of our past, present, and future Cath0lic leaders will come from graduates of our Catholic elementary and high schools.

Please visit the wonderful website for the Catholic Education Foundation to learn more about it, and how you can participate in helping to keep our Catholic Schools open, vialable, and affordable for this and the next generation of Catholic School students: http://www.cefdn.org/

Each of us has a serious duty and responsibility to preserve and to enhance our Catholic Schools for the coming generations across the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. I invite you to participate in helping to make sure that the legacy of quality Catholic Education is passed on from one generation to the next.

In our difficult economic times, it is really important that we make available tuition assistance for the many families who desperately want their children in our Catholic Schools, but who simply do not have the money to pay for tuition.

Please consider making a gift today to the Catholic Education Foundation to maintain our vigorous and faith-filled Catholic Schools! Gifts can be made directly through the CEF website:

http://www.cefdn.org/

Click on "Donate" and you will find many giving opportunities.

May God's blessings be abundant upon you!!

LENTEN MESSAGE for 2010

"We begin Lent 2010 much like we did in 2009. Enormous financial realities impact our families, especially with the continuing loss of jobs and no immediate prospects for a renewed and favorable job market.

Too many of our families in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles have been impacted by the loss of jobs—especially those hundreds of thousands with minimum wage jobs. Countless thousands of our poorest people work two or more minimum wage jobs in order to sustain their families. But when one or more of those jobs terminates, the financial burdens are many and burdensome.

We see the disastrous results of those job losses: families struggle to pay their rent and utilities; others find it difficult to purchase adequate food for their families; and many of our Catholic families have had to take their children out of our Catholic elementary and high schools because they are unable to meet the tuition for their children. Even with the heroic efforts of Together In Mission school subsidies and the Catholic Education Foundation tuition scholarships, many of our families cannot afford to keep their children in our Catholic schools. This reality only compounds the problems for these families since a sound and integral education is the only and best hope for the children and young people of these families.

As we enter our annual Lenten journey, I would strongly recommend that all of us continue our traditional Lenten practices: increased prayer, appropriate fasting, and continued almsgiving. But this year, I would suggest that you consider making a donation during Lent to your parish school to enable a family unable to pay the tuition to have their son or daughter continue forward in that Catholic school. If your own parish school does not have this need, then there are many parish schools in each sector of our Archdiocese who could benefit from your Lenten charity.

I can think of no finer way to direct this year’s Lenten charitable giving than to those families who truly desire a sound Catholic education for their children but simply cannot afford it. If you are not certain which Catholic elementary schools are in most need, please contact our Office of Education at (213) 637-7300 and explain that you want to assist a young person remain in their Catholic school. The Office will give you the names of several schools in your immediate Pastoral Region.

Yet again, I am asking all of us to devote special prayer and fasting on behalf of our many undocumented immigrants living in our midst. It has been my personal goal for many years now to assist these families in having a path towards legal residency in our midst. Curt and abusive insults of our immigrant brothers and sisters do not help any of us in our great nation. The majority of our immigrant families are “mixed families,” meaning that some members are legal United States citizens and some are not. Because of this reality, these families will stay together and we will continue to have some people living in the shadows of legality.

Both the Congress and our President have the responsibility to help bring an end to these people living in the shadows of our society—often deprived of basic human rights and exploited by employers—and onto a path which would eventually bring them into full legal residence. Our country would benefit greatly from taking this step forward.

The Bishops of the United States remain committed to comprehensive immigration reform, and this is one of my highest priorities as Archbishop of Los Angeles. My own personal Lenten practices this year will be totally devoted to this effort at achieving meaningful and comprehensive immigration reform.

I invite you to consider both of these pressing issues during your Lenten journey: the opportunity for children to remain in our Catholic schools, and comprehensive immigration reform to be enacted by Congress.

Let us continue “to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2) and our most needful brothers and sisters during our Lenten journey!!"

Images of Ash Wednesday 2010, Courtesy of Victor Aleman