Human Life and Dignity Blog

Los Católicos hispanos acogen la carta pastoral del arzobispo de San Francisco
(English below)

Por Lorena Rojas

     El arzobispo Salvatore J. Cordileone de la Arquidiócesis de San Francisco presentó el 1 de mayo —día de san José Obrero— una carta pastoral titulada “Antes de formarte en el seno de tu madre ya te conocía”, el documento se refiere a la dignidad humana de los no nacidos, la Sagrada Comunión, y los católicos en la vida pública.
Un día después de la presentación del documento el arzobispo celebró la misa dominical en la iglesia San Pedro, una de las tres parroquias de “Mission Parishes”, en el distrito de la Misión en San Francisco.
    Durante la homilía de esta misa el arzobispo Cordileone predicó sobre la santidad de la Eucaristía, pan de vida,  y la comparó con la dignidad de la vida humana de los no nacidos.
 Los parroquianos de estas iglesias en la Misión reaccionaron al mensaje de la homilía y al contenido de la carta pastoral.
Damaris Berrios, parroquiana de San Pedro, quien con su esposo Augusto C. Noguera dirigen un ministerio dedicado a los matrimonios en esta parroquia, calificó la carta pastoral escrita por el arzobispo Cordileone como un recurso de gran ayuda para las familias, el cual se va a incluir como documento de estudio en este ministerio.
“Creemos que esta carta pastoral es un remedio para sanar las heridas en las familias, porque muchas familias hoy están llevando el dolor y las heridas de los traumas que deja el aborto”, compartió Berrios.
Ella dijo que “Antes de formarte en el seno de tu madre ya te conocía”, también es un documento con una exhortación a rescatar el amor a la Sagrada Eucaristía.
Su esposo Augusto Noguera, restaca de esta carta pastoral, el llamado que hace el arzobispo a cuidar la obra de Dios.
 “Tenemos que defenderla (la vida), ese es el desafío que tenemos hoy como ciudadanos y como católicos, trabajar por el reino del bien, por el reino de la paz, y sobre todas las cosas por el reino de la vida”, dijo.
Noguera exhortó a los católicos a defender la dignidad de la vida humana. “sobre eso tenemos que trabajar nosotros como católicos y dar testimonio cada día en nuestras vidas y en los lugares donde nos desenvolvemos y trabajamos”.
 En su carta pastoral “Antes de formarte en el seno de tu madre ya te conocía”, el arzobispo Cordileone profundiza sobre la dignidad de la vida humana de los no nacidos, abordando el tema desde cuatro perspectivas: La gravedad del mal del aborto, la cooperación en el mal moral, el significado de elegir recibir la Sagrada Eucaristía, y las responsabilidades de los católicos en la vida pública.
 Durante la homilía en San Pedro, el arzobispo resaltó la valentía de mártires de la Iglesia Católica que han dado sus vidas por defender la santidad de la Eucaristía.
Con el ejemplo del mártir italiano Simeón Cardón y otros religiosos de su congregación que fueron asesinados en 1799 cuando salieron a recoger las hostias consagradas profanadas por soldados franceses durante la guerras napoleónicas.
 Al ver las hostias consagradas esparcidas por el suelo, Simeón y sus hermanos “supieron que lo más importante en la vida era proteger y entender lo sagrado… porque ellos sabían que la hostia consagrada era el verdadero cuerpo y sangre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo”, predicó el arzobispo Cordileone.
 Este testimonio es un ejemplo de la conexión entre fe y acción. “Si no actuamos de acuerdo con lo que decimos que creemos… comenzamos a pensar que no debe ser realmente cierto, entonces nuestra fe se debilita y nos alejamos de Dios”, afirmó el arzobispo.
Tomando el pasaje del Evangelio que dice “la gloria de mi padre consiste en que dé muchos frutos y se manifiesten así como discípulos míos”, el arzobispo explicó que esos frutos “comienzan en la iglesia, en la misa y en la actitud hacia la Sagrada Eucaristía”.
 “Este es el sacramento de nuestra comunión con Él, pero para comulgar con integridad este acto tiene que expresar una comunión personal con Cristo, de lo contrario la comunión sería mentira”, detalló el arzobispo.
Rosario Haro, parroquiana de San Pedro, reflexionando sobre la homilía del arzobispo, dijo “Nosotros al venir a la misa y comulgar estamos diciendo que somos católicos, que creemos en la Iglesia y que creemos que estas leyes morales nos ayudan a ser mejores”.
Por su parte el diácono Mynor Montepeque de la iglesia Corpus Christi en San Francisco, al referirse a los cuatro puntos de la carta pastoral explicó que estos “significan básicamente vivir la fe católica”.
 Montepeque citó como ejemplo la celebración de la fiesta de la Concepción de María como uno de los eventos solemnes en la Iglesia. Y dijo, creemos en la Concepción de la Virgen María, así mismo debemos de creer en la concepción de toda vida humana.
 Lo mismo sucede con la Eucaristía, “cuando participamos de ella estamos en comunión con la Iglesia eso significa que creemos en todo lo que la Iglesia nos enseña”, dijo el diácono Montepeque.
Agregó que  lo que está afectando estos valores católicos es que algunas personas han vuelto la fe selectiva, escogen en cuáles enseñanzas creer y en cuáles no.
El arzobispo lamentó que cada vez menos católicos creen que Jesús está realmente presente en la Eucaristía. Por eso algunos no se “comportan de manera consistente con esta enseñanza”.
 

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El 2 de mayo, el arzobispo Cordileone se reúne con los feligreses después de la misa ( Fotografía tomada por Dennis Callahan/ Arquidiócesis de San Francisco)

Hispanic Catholics Embrace the Pastoral Letter of the Archbishop of San Francisco 

By Lorena Rojas 

Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco presented on May 1 -- the Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker -- a pastoral letter titled “Before I Formed You in the Womb I Knew You: A Pastoral Letter on the Human Dignity of the Unborn, Holy Communion, and Catholics in Public Life.” 

The document addresses the human dignity of the unborn, Holy Communion, and Catholics in public life. One day after the presentation of the document, the Archbishop celebrated Sunday Mass at St. Peter Church, one of the three "Mission Parishes” in the Mission District in San Francisco. 

During the homily of the Mass, Archbishop Cordileone preached about the sanctity of the Eucharist, bread of life, and compared it to the human dignity of the unborn. 

Parishioners of the churches in the Mission reacted to the message of the homily and to the content of the pastoral letter. 

Damaris Berrios, parishioner of St. Peter, who with her husband Augusto C. Noguera directs a ministry dedicated to marriage in this parish, described the pastoral letter written by Archbishop Cordileone as a resource of great help to families, which she will include as a study document in this ministry. 

“We believe that this pastoral letter is a remedy to heal the wounds in families, because many families today are carrying the pain and wounds of the traumas that abortion leaves behind,” Berrios shared. She said that “Before I Formed You in the Womb I Knew You” is also a document with an exhortation to recover the love of the Holy Eucharist.  

Her husband Augusto Noguera, takes from the pastoral letter the call that the Archbishop makes to care for the work of God.  “We have to defend it (life), that is the challenge that we have today as citizens and as Catholics, to work for the reign of goodness, for the reign of peace, and above all for the reign of life,” he said. 

Noguera exhorted Catholics to defend the dignity of human life. “About this we have to work as Catholics and give testimony each day in our lives and in the places where we live and work.” 

In his pastoral letter “Before I Formed You in the Womb I Knew You,” Archbishop Cordileone delves into the dignity of the human life of the unborn, addressing the topic from four perspectives: the gravity of the evil of abortion, cooperation in moral evil, the meaning of choosing to receive the Holy Eucharist, and the responsibilities of Catholics in public life. 

During the homily at St. Peter, the Archbishop emphasized the bravery of the martyrs of the Catholic Church that have given their lives to defend the sanctity of the Eucharist. He cited the example of the Italian martyr Simeon Cardon and other religious of his congregation who were killed in 1799 when they went to recover the consecrated hosts profaned by French soldiers during the Napoleonic wars. 

Upon seeing the consecrated hosts scattered on the floor, Simeon and his brothers “knew that the most important thing in the world was to protect and understand the sacred… because they knew that the consecrated host was the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ,” preached Archbishop Cordileone.  

This testimony is an example of the connection between faith and action. “If we do not act in accordance with what we say that we believe… we begin to think that it must not really be true, then our faith weakens and we move away from God,” affirmed the Archbishop.  

Taking the passage of the Gospel that says, "By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples,” the Archbishop explained that those fruits “begin in the church, in the Mass, and in the attitude toward the Holy Eucharist.” 

“This is the sacrament of our communion with Him, but to commune with integrity this act has to express a personal communion with Christ, otherwise the communion would be a lie,” explained the Archbishop. 

Rosario Haro, parishioner at St. Peter, reflecting on the Archbishop’s homily, said, “We, by coming to Mass and receiving communion, are saying that we are Catholics, that we believe in the Church, and that we believe that these moral laws help us to be better.” 

For his part Deacon Mynor Montepeque of Corpus Christi Church in San Francisco, referring to the four points of the pastoral letter explained that these “mean basically to live the Catholic faith.”   

Deacon Montepeque cited as an example the celebration of the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary as one of the solemn events of the Church. And he said we believe in the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, likewise we should believe in the conception of all human life. 

The same happens with the Eucharist, “when we participate in it we are in communion with the Church. This signifies that we believe in everything that the Church teaches us,” said Deacon Montepeque. He added that what is affecting these Catholic values is that some people have chosen selective faith. They choose which teachings to believe and which not to. 
 

The Archbishop lamented that fewer and fewer Catholics believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. For this reason they do not “behave in a way that is consistent with this teaching.” 

 

 

 

By Melissa Vlach

"If [one] part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.” (1 Cor 12:26-27)

St. Paul was addressing a church in Corinth ruptured by many divisions, but calling them to unity in the midst of their differences. Thousands of years later, it often seems that we are in much the same state.

We’ve all seen the turmoil in our nation over the last year, and the inequalities that have existed for much longer than that. As a Catholic community, we are called to stand with those who are suffering, as St. Paul reminds us, but we first must understand what is happening in order to be able to respond effectively.

As part of that effort, the Archdiocese of San Francisco has hosted a number of listening sessions in the past few months, giving individuals in our parishes and in the wider community a chance to voice their concerns and share their stories around racial injustice.

The most recent session was held at Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco. A small group of students and staff gathered in one of the first in-person gatherings at the school since the start of the pandemic. They were given a chance to voice any concerns about the school or the wider community and to ask questions of the panel, which was made up of school staff members and other community leaders.

One student asked panelist Lt. Wilfred Williams of the San Francisco Police Department if he had personally seen or been affected by racial inequities while on the force. He described the assessment process recently undergone by the department, which showed that there were racial disparities that needed to be addressed. “Has it occurred? Yes,” he responded. He also shared the plan instituted by the department to create a more level playing field in the future.

A number of audience members brought up the fear among Asian community members due to recent upticks in violence. Panelist John Wu, Director of Information & Technology at Riordan, shared some of those same concerns for himself and his parents. “Two weeks ago I was on Mission Street with three of my friends, and I walked past, we walked past these two individuals and I heard a racial slur. So they were waiting for me to engage them. But I kept walking… But I was thinking, I’ve been thinking, what should I do if it wasn’t just a verbal thing?”

Although many expressed concerns about the problems that exist, there was also a shared desire to make positive change. Some students spoke of wanting to be more involved with community activism outside of the school.

Panelist Stephanie Lundin, a teacher at Riordan, expressed that students should use the many clubs and activities at the school to continue the conversation about these topics. "It’s another opportunity for you guys to be able to share with trusted adults and for us to know that stuff is going on in your lives.”

The Riordan listening session followed earlier events at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in East Palo Alto, St. Paul of the Shipwreck Parish in San Francisco, and St. Pius School in Redwood City. It is part of the work of the Ethnic Ministries, with Christopher Major, Coordinator of the African-American Ministry, taking part as a panelist as well.

Melissa Vlach is the coordinator of social justice and digital media for the Office of Human Life & Dignity, Archdiocese of San Francisco

By John Garvey
Catholic News Service

      I saw an ad on the television recently that encouraged the observer to start "making memories" with the device on offer, probably a phone of some kind.
     My iPhone has, under its Photos icon, a Memories section that undertakes to do this for me. It mashes random pictures together and sets them to music. I can choose tunes that are "Gentle," "Chill," "Epic," "Dreamy," etc.

This is a strange idea, "making memories." But it exactly describes the way many of us go about living our lives.

 When Pope Francis visited Washington in 2015, I attended an event for him at the nuncio's residence. On the way in, he stopped to shake some hands, including that of a teenage girl standing next to me.
Instead of shaking the pope's hand, she did what many young people would do: She turned her back on him, held up her phone and took a selfie of herself and the Holy Father looking at the phone.

When the New England Patriots staged their memorable comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, Fox TV showed a similar incident. The Patriots' quarterback, Tom Brady, is married to a famous model, Gisele Bündchen, and she naturally had a luxury box. When her husband engineered the crucial touchdown, the television cameras focused on her. She was holding up her cellphone, shaking her hair and recording herself cheering into the phone.

There's something out of order about this. When I was just the age of the girl at the nunciature, my family had an audience with Pope Paul VI. It was in St. Peter's in Rome, and there was a large crowd. I managed to get away from my parents and up to the wooden barrier where the pope was standing. This was before the age of cellphones, so I did the old-fashioned thing: I shook the pope's hand. I have a memory of that incident, more precious now that he has been canonized. It's in my head, not on my phone, and after 50 years it's lost some of the surrounding detail. I imagine I can still feel the touch of his hand and the look in his eye.

Fifty years from now the girl at the nunciature will have the advantage of me; her picture of her and Pope Francis will still be sharp -- unless, of course, it gets lost in the cloud or the technology changes, as it did with floppy disks.  On the other hand, I actually met the pope. She acted a part in a play about meeting the pope.      Her audience was the people who would view her Instagram account. Her emotions were not those of a teenager meeting the pope. They were a version staged for the cellphone camera of what someone might look like who was in a picture with the pope.

So too with Gisele. She wasn't transported with delight at Tom's victory over the Falcons. She was posing for the camera and her followers on social media, playing the part of someone who was transported with delight.

In this preoccupation with recording electronic memories, we are missing out on the very experiences we want to share. The picture might be sharper than a recollection, though, to be honest, it leaves out smells and touches. But it can never compare with just living through the moment -- the thing you miss when you're too busy putting yourself on the other side of the camera.

In "De Rerum Natura," Lucretius observes critically, "Some people sacrifice life itself for the sake of statues and a title." We make the same mistake in trying to immortalize ourselves on the internet.

Garvey is president of The Catholic University of America in Washington. Follow him on Twitter @CatholicPres. Catholic University's website is www.cua.edu.

 

The following reflection comes from the St. Dominic church bulletin for Palm Sunday. We share it with you for this blessed season.

By Father Michael Hurley, OP
Pastor's Corner

 

St. Pius Parish Returns Cautiously As Restrictions Ease
By Father Tom Martin

When the United States Supreme Court ruled affirmatively that places of worship be accorded the same consideration as retail venues related to in-person capacity, I was overjoyed.  When our staff gathered together the next Monday, we were unanimous in wanting to proceed with caution, ensuring that we continue to maintain strict adherence to both San Mateo County health directives and archdiocesan protocols for the celebration of Mass and reception of the sacraments.  We recognize that we have a solemn obligation both to offer the Mass and sacraments to our people while keeping safe.  These goals are not mutually exclusive.

As is the case in our other parishes, great efforts have been made to stay connected with our parishioners and be creative in reaching out to them.  We have been blessed to have live-streamed Masses daily in addition to reflections offered by our priests and lay faithful.  We will continue with a series of talks by lay members of our parish this Lent.  There will be a Rosary at 5:30 p.m. for vocations followed with Confessions attended by both Fr. Edgardo Rodriquez and myself.  We have posted outdoor Stations of the Cross as well.  As of January 6th, we have an Adoration Chapel which is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Fr. Edgardo and I have continued to visit the sick and check in with parishioners, especially seniors, who have felt particularly alone and isolated during this pandemic.

The Gospel reading for the Second Sunday in Lent is Mark’s account of the Transfiguration.  Peter, James and John see Jesus in his glory; first fear, then peace overtakes them.  Peter says, “Lord, it is good for us to be here!”  Alas, Jesus foretells his passion and death which is necessary for the ultimate triumph of the Resurrection. The Transfiguration is an excellent source of prayer as we consider the cost of discipleship, of which suffering is a part but not the final say!

As we enter into this holy and privileged season of Lent, we do so with the easing of restrictions related to Covid-19.  Over this past year, we have truly been pilgrims along the Via Dolorosa.  Many of us have lost close friends and family members, a grief compounded by the fact that we could not mourn their passing as we ordinarily do.  Despite these necessary losses, we have seen much evidence of “grace upon grace.”  I wasn’t quite sure whether parishioners and others would attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, the day we at St. Pius once again opened the church for public worship.  I celebrated the 6:30 a.m. Mass and I counted at least 150 people.  At 6:30 in the morning!  It was like this at our other Masses, culminating with our 6:30 p.m. Spanish Mass which was also quite full.  I could not help but reflect upon the words of St. Paul to the Romans: “Brothers and sisters, if God is for us, who can be against us?”  Jesus Christ, who exemplifies for us surrender in suffering, does indeed intercede for us!

Father Tom Martin is the pastor of St. Pius the X Parish in Redwood City, California. Visit the parish website at www.pius.org

By Gibbons Cooney
An almost unendurable reality is that right here, right now, in our city, defenseless and innocent children are being killed, quite legally, and for profit. Yet this is the reality. It is really happening.  The fundamental right not to be killed has been denied to an entire group of people, based solely on their age. As a Catholic, as an American, as a human being I’m faced with the question: what should I do?
By the standards of the world the situation seems hopeless. The government supports this killing. The media supports this killing. In San Francisco, most of our neighbors support this killing. Further, if a woman is truly determined to kill her unborn child I cannot stop her, even if Planned Parenthood goes out of business tomorrow.
But 40 Days for Life has shown me:  I don’t need the standards of the world.  What I need, what we need, what our world needs, is hope! Where is our hope? Our hope is in the power of prayer and love to change the hearts and minds of those who work in the abortion business and of the mother contemplating abortion. 
And 40 Days for Life has shown me more: that hope dies in solitude but grows in community. At 40 Days for Life I am part of a local community and that community is part of a group of state communities, of national communities and finally of a worldwide community. And the 40 Days community has manifested that hope, has spread that hope, and, now by witnessing to that hope in 61 countries and all 50 states, has made that hope a reality for all to see. Because that hope really and truly has caused abortion workers to reconsider their actions, and really and truly has given frightened mothers the courage to bear and raise their children. 40 Days for Life has shown us, over and over again, the tangible results of our hope: lives saved, lives changed, and lives enriched. Maybe not today, and maybe not on Valencia Street, but yes, somewhere in this worldwide community a life is being saved, changed, enriched.
I am grateful to play a tiny part in this.
To sign up to pray with 40 Days for Life this Lent, go here to sign up for San Francisco and here to sign up for Redwood City. 

Gibbons Cooney is a native San Franciscan and parish manager at Saints Peter and Paul Parish. (Photo outside Bush Street soon-to-open flagship Planned Parenthood is by Dennis Callahan/Archdiocese of San Francisco Office of Human Life & Dignity)
 

News relating to abortion is spilling into the public eye at a pace that feels like drinking from a fire hose

• President Joe Biden has signaled that on Jan. 28 he will reverse the Mexico City policy barring U.S. funds to organizations that promote or provide abortion, and last week also pledged again to codify Roe v. Wade in federal law if the US Supreme Court overturns the 1973 ruling that established abortion as a constitutional right. A host of other actions in support of abortion are expected Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reports. 
  • The chairman of the U.S. bishops Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, responded to the president's Jan. 22 statement on the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. He called President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' position tragic. Archbishop Naumann issued this statement Jan. 22 in response to the White House statement: 
    • “It is deeply disturbing and tragic that any President would praise and commit to codifying a Supreme Court ruling that denies unborn children their most basic human and civil right, the right to life, under the euphemistic disguise of a health service. I take this opportunity to remind all Catholics that the Catechism states, ‘Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.’ Public officials are responsible for not only their personal beliefs, but also the effects of their public actions. Roe’s elevation of abortion to the status of a protected right and its elimination of state restrictions paved the way for the violent deaths of more than 62 million innocent unborn children and for countless women who experience the heartache of loss, abandonment, and violence. We strongly urge the President to reject abortion and promote life-affirming aid to women and communities in need.”
• U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops president Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles on the inauguration of President Biden offered prayers for him and his family, noting Biden's Catholic faith, and committment to the poor.  Then, Archbishop Gomez addressed President Biden's support of policies promoting abortion: "For the nation’s bishops, the continued injustice of abortion remains the 'preeminent priority.' Preeminent does not mean 'only.' We have deep concerns about many threats to human life and dignity in our society. But as Pope Francis teaches, we cannot stay silent when nearly a million unborn lives are being cast aside in our country year after year through abortion." 
  • Read Archbishop Gomez's Jan. 20 statement here.
  • Read San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone's Jan. 20 statement in support here.

• Archbishop Cordileone publicly rebuked San Franciscan and Catholic parishioner House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over her remarks criticizing pro-life voters who voted for Donald Trump on the abortion issue. Speaker Pelosi said in a podcast with Hillary Clinton, You and Me Both, that their votes cause her "great grief as a Catholic" and accused pro-life Trump voters of "being willing to sell the whole democracy down the river for that one issue." 
  • Read the Archbishop's Jan. 21 statement here.

 

• On Jan. 22, the Archdiocese of San Francisco for the first time marked the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children with a Mass at the cathedral and at local parishes followed by a seminar on the future of the pro-life movement.
  • The compelling Zoom webinar on the future of the pro-life movement drew large virtual attendance as progressive pro-life activist and Fordham University ethicist Charles Camosy and Susan B. Anthony founder and president Marjorie Dannenfelser spoke with Archbishop Cordileone. The webinar was co-sponsored by Human Life Action and the Office of Human Life & Dignity.
  • Links to the seminar and to the livestream video of the Mass are here.
• On Jan. 23, an estimated 2,000 people met at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza for the 17^th annual Walk for Life West Coast.  Archbishop Cordileone celebrated the Walk for Life Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption at 10:30 a.m. and later joined the pro-life activists to walk along Market Street.
  • Catholic News Service has a roundup of the diverse response of pro-life organizers nationally to the pandemic here.
• For the Archbishop's homilies on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23, please go here.
• For the Archbishop's interview on FoxNews Jan. 26, please go here.

• The National Vigil for Life Jan. 28-29 is virtual this year. To join in prayer, go here for more information.
• The March for Life in Washington, DC, on Jan. 29 is virtual. Speakers will include Florida Republican Rep. Kat Cammack whose life was nearly lost to abortion and ran for public office in large part because of the issue. More information here.  

 (Photo of Jan. 23 Walk for Life West Coast rally at Civic Center / Dennis Callahan/Archdiocese of San Francisco)

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone celebrated an early morning Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption and then led about 100 people from the cathedral to the site of the new -- not yet opened -- flagship Planned Parenthood clinic at 1522 Bush Street. In his homily, the Archbishop thanked the 120 people who attended the 8 a.m. Mass Jan. 9, including about 20 Missionaries of Charity professed nuns and novices. "Thank you for being a light in the midst of this darkness; a light being a witness to the sanctity of life,"rchbishop Cordileone said in his homily. "Thank  you for being advocates, and as we should say, activists for the Culture of Life."  And, he said, "We need the power of prayer and fasting to defeat the powers of darkness." Later, at the Bush Street clinic, the Archbishop sprinkled the front of the clinic with exorcised holy water and urged those present to continue praying and fasting. He asked that they come every Saturday and as often as possible during the week to pray the rosary and say the St. Michael prayer.  The Mass and procession was the first of the monthly events that will be held on the First Saturday going forward. During her July 13, 1917 appearance to the children of Fatima, the Blessed Mother asked us to attend Mass and pray particularly for intercession to her Immaculate Heart on the First Saturday of the month in reparation for the sins of the world. (Photo by Dennis Callahan/Catholic San Francisco)

By Melissa Vlach
As with everything in 2020, the Interfaith Winter Shelter looks a little different this year, but the faith communities of San Francisco have worked hard to make sure it can still happen. This includes the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, which is the location of the shelter this year.

The Winter Shelter, which is in its 32nd year, opened on November 30. It usually rotates between a number of different facilities over the course of a season. However, this year it will be hosted by the cathedral every night, as the cathedral has the space to accommodate physical distancing protocols for the guests, all of whom are also required to wear masks.

The food offered has changed as well. In past years various congregations would come in to cook and serve the meals to those staying in the shelter. These many volunteers earned the program a reputation for having the best food around. This year, Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco will try to meet those expectations as they deliver boxed meals in order to limit the number of people entering the location.

The shelter is not taking walk-in clients, but will be receiving referrals from partner organizations. It can accept up to 67 individuals at a time, and is scheduled to go through January 31, 2021. The situation will be monitored to see what develops after that date.

“We are grateful to the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption for generously offering their site as an extended stay location,” said Michael Pappas, Executive Director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, in a press release.

Those who are experiencing homelessness are encouraged to visit a Coordinated Entry Access Point through the City and County of San Francisco to be directed to available resources.
 

Learn more about the Cathedral at http://smcsf.org/
SF Coordinated Entry Access Points 

Melissa Vlach is Office of Human Life & Dignity social action/digital media coordinator. 

 

• Human beings are both impelled by their nature and bound by a moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious truth.

• The right to religious freedom has its foundation not in the subjective attitude of the individual but by his very nature.

• Man is bound to follow his conscience faithfully in all his activity so that he may come to God, who is his last end.  Therefore, he must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience.

• Men must respect the moral principle of personal and moral responsibility:  in exercising their rights individual men and social groups are bound by the moral law to have regard for the rights of others, their own duties to others and the common good of all.  All men must be treated with justice and humanity.

The Church rightly asserts the legitimate role of the civil society and the obligation of all its citizens bear in maintaining good order and peace.  However, the Church also states that civil protection by a government “must not be done in an arbitrary manner or by the unfair practice of favoritism but in accordance with legal principles which are in conformity with the objective moral order.”  In the United States of America, our national motto is In Pluribus Unum and our currency has inscribed in it the words, In God we Trust.  The free exercise of religion is at the cornerstone of our Constitution.  In fact, it is the First Amendment to the Constitution, and first among the Bill of Rights.  In reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”  Because so many of this nation’s first settlers were fleeing violent religious persecution in England as well as on the Continent, there was no ambiguity where the founders stood.

Yet today, elected leaders and policymakers have systematically and callously sought to take this right away.  Ironically, and there are concrete examples to justify this claim, these very politicians and policymakers themselves violate their own rules.  This hypocrisy and indifference know no political parties nor ideological labels; it is simply an attempt to assume powers not theirs under the U.S. Constitution.  I point to this issue because several parishioners and people of faith have articulated their frustration at the arbitrary harshness directed at religious institutions and pastoral care.  Simply put, what gives the government the right to determine what is “essential” and “non-essential” work in our society?  One need look no further than to review the State of California’s Covid-19 Response, “Blueprint for a Safer Economy:  Activity and Business Tiers.” The Governor of California has classified places of worship alongside entertainment venues.  One can shop indoors at large retail venues and at larger capacities but cannot attend Mass or religious services?  To minimize the role of religion in American life is benign neglect at best and insulting and bigoted at worst.

Over these many months, I have had teenagers and police officers come speak to me about feelings of despair and suicidal thoughts.  Does the Governor deem this ministry of service to be entertainment?  I have listened to parents and grandparents and watched them cry as loved ones have been laid off from work.  Does the Governor deem this ministry of service to be entertainment?  I have ministered to those suffering with Covid-19 and their families, witnessing their fear and grief.  Does the Governor deem this ministry of service to be entertainment?  I have spent hours on the telephone with elderly parishioners who are alone and isolated.  For many of them, the parish community is their only form of socialization.  Does the Governor deem this ministry of service to be entertainment?  Ministering to our people is not superfluous; it is essential. 

I know of many, many priests and ministers of other religious denominations who have tried their best to serve their congregations in the face of government trivialization and limitation of their ministry.  Some make the argument that it is unnecessary to go to church to pray.  Yes, we have been blessed at Saint Pius—through the generosity of volunteers and financial support—to offer state-of-the-art livestreaming of Masses, reflection talks and other services.  In our celebration of the Mass we have been able to join in spiritual communion. 

Policymakers have said that God can be worshipped from anywhere.  This may apply to other faith traditions, but the Roman Catholic Church is centered on the Eucharist and the sacraments.  Our belief is that the Eucharist is the Real Presence pf Jesus Christ.  So to deny our parishioners the Eucharist together as a community gathered in worship strikes at the heart of our beliefs.  We cherish the sacraments that Jesus Christ himself instituted for us to encounter Him and we must be willing to fight for our right to receive them.
Due to the incredible generosity of our parish, Saint Pius has created a safe and responsible environment during Covid-19.  The Archdiocese of San Francisco has developed a comprehensive protocol for keeping parishioners safe and healthy while attending Mass.  Here at Saint Pius we have expended significant financial resources to procure cleaning and disinfectant agents to ensure maximum safety for our parishioners.  We have strictly adhered to the County of San Mateo mandates.  We do understand that we have a moral and social obligation and responsibility to follow regulations and have done so uncompromisingly and rigorously.  Due to the seriousness with which we as a community have responded to this crisis, there have been no reported cases of Covid-19 as a result of our gathering together for Mass.  This does not, however, require that we abjure our Constitutional right to worship unimpeded.  It is now time to address this issue head-on.

On November 25, 2020 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled affirmatively on a case brought before it by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, New York v. Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York.  Another petitioner was the Agudath Israel of America and affiliated entities.  These parties asserted that the Governor of New York’s restrictions on religious services constitutes a violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.  The Court ruling stated that “Both the Diocese and Agudath Israel maintain that the regulations treat houses of worship more harshly than comparable secular facilities.  And they tell us without contradiction that they have complied with all public health guidance, have implemented additional precautionary measures, and have operated at 25% or 33% capacity for months without a single outbreak.”

In its majority opinion favoring the petitioners, the Court ruled that “The Constitution ‘principally entrusts the safety and health of the people to the politically accountable officials of the States.’  Federal Courts therefore must afford substantial deference to state and local authorities about how to best balance competing policy considerations during the pandemic.  But judicial deference in an emergency or a crisis does not mean wholesale judicial abdication, especially when important questions of religious discrimination, racial discrimination, free speech or the like are raised.  Members of the Court are not public health experts, and we should respect the judgment of those with special expertise and responsibility in this area.  But even in a pandemic, the Constitution cannot be put away and forgotten.  The restrictions at issue here, by effectively barring many from attending religious services, strike at the very heart of the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty.”

The late German Lutheran minister Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was hanged at the Flossenburg Concentration Camp in Germany in World War II for standing up against bigotry and injustice, wrote these salient words:  “We must finally stop appealing to theology to justify our reserved silence about what the state is doing—for that is nothing but fear.  ‘Open your mouth for the one who is voiceless’—for who in the church today still remembers that that is the least of the Bible’s demands in times such as these?”
 

Social Action coordinator Martin Ford had the privilege of spending a few hours with Pastor Walter B. Hoye II, author of "Black and Pro-Life In America."  Hoye is a powerful voice against racism and for life, who first came to widespread media attention in 2008. The interview is linked below.

In 2008, Hoye was arrested and eventually jailed for holding a sign outside an Oakland abortion clinic that read, "Jesus loves you and your baby. Let us help you!" He was sentenced to jail in 2009 under the city's "bubble ordinance"  barring protesters from coming within 8 feet of anyone entering an abortion clinic. The law was eventually ruled unconstitional.


Hoye states: "Abortion is a form of discrimination. Just as Black Americans were both enslaved and disqualified from constitutionally protected Personhood because of their skin color. Just as Jews were legally put to death and disqualified from constitutionally protected personhood because of their ethnicity. Today, the pre-born child is disqualified from constitutionally protected personhood in the United States of America, because of his or her physical size, level of biological development, environment and/or dependency."

Pastor Walter Hoye is both Founder and President of the Issues4Life Foundation, the California Civil Rights Foundation, Founder of the Frederick Douglass Foundation of California, and an Executive Member of the National Black Pro-Life Coalition.  Walter, an ordained minister, and his wife, Lori, are leaders in the black pro-life movement.

The following interview was based on his book, Black and Pro-life in America.  Walter Hoye recounts the story of his being arrested for peacefully praying in front of an abortion clinic in Oakland, being sent to jail, his ministry in jail, about his friendship with Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, and even a bonus question on his role as chaplain for the Golden State Warriors!

Watch the interview.

The rapid pace of federal death penalty executions is alarming.

In July 2019, the federal government reinstated the death penalty, after a 17-year hiatus. U.S. Attorney General William Barr said the goal was to bring "justice to victims of the most horrific crimes." Since then eight federal inmates have been put to death this year and five more are scheduled to be executed before Jan. 20.

Yes, the Catholic Church opposes the death penalty, and numerous bishops and popes have spoken out against it. In 2018, Pope Francis revised the Catechism of the Catholic Church to say “the death penalty is inadmissible.”  Just Nov. 18, the heads of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and the Committee on Pro-Life Activities said in a statement, "We ask President (Donald) Trump and Attorney General (William) Barr, as an act of witness to the dignity of all human life: stop these executions.” 

Yet, for many it is not as important an issue as it should be, says Deacon Dan Rosen, a pastoral associate at St. Dominic Parish in San Francisco. 

By Deacon Dan Rosen

Under President Donald Trump, the government has carried out the highest number of federal executions ever in a single year, with statistics dating back to the Great Depression, according to Robert Dunham, executive director of the nonpartisan Death Penalty Information Center.

Lisa Montgomery’s case stands out. Montgomery, 52, is scheduled on Dec.  31 to be the first woman in nearly 70 years to receive the federal death penalty. Her punishment is being carried out on an unusually fast timeline — all amid a pandemic. For like us, Lisa was born with our original sin; like us she was flawed and sinful; and made serious bad choices. I think for many Catholics who support the death penalty, she seems to have forfeited her right to life.  Even though a closer read of the Catechism says: “The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person” – Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2267.

We hear little about these executions. They go unnoticed. They are just accepted.

Yet, as Sister Helen Prejean says: “I realize that I cannot stand by silently as my government executes its citizens. If I do not speak out and resist, I am an accomplice.”

But someone reminds us that they should not be unnoticed and accepted. The next time you enter church and stare up at the Crucifix, remember that Jesus was executed by federal Roman authorities.  And his response was “Father forgive them!” Perhaps in our world today we could do with a healthy dose of forgiveness rather than another spoonful of vengeance.

Deacon Dan Rosen is a pastoral associate at St. Dominic Parish, San Francisco. He can be reached at deacondan@stdominics.org

For Archdiocesan resources on the death penalty, go here.

"I was ... in prison and you visited me."    (Matthew 25:36)

For the past few years, generous donors have contributed thousands of dollars so the archdiocesan restorative justice ministry can provide a special Thanksgiving meal to those incarcerated in the San Francisco County jails. This year, about 800 meals were prepared by a catering service staffed by formerly incarcerated people, and operated by Vocational Services of San Mateo County. The meals were to be served over three days (Nov. 18-20) in the San Francisco jail at the Hall of Justice and in the SF jails in San Bruno. Because of COVID-19 precautions, the volunteers were not able to directly serve the meals but could pray with the chaplains and restorative justice coordinator Julio Escobar for the food and those who would enjoy it. Members of the daily evening telephone rosary rally with restorative justice joined in prayer by telephone.
(Photos by Dennis Callahan/Archdiocese of San Francisco Office of Human Life & Dignity)

God bless our priests and our Archbishop who are bringing the Mass to the people even as government restrictions limit religous worship during the pandemic.

On both Saturday, August 22, and Sunday, August 23, 11 priests joined Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone to celebrate Mass at 9 a.m. on the plaza of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. That follows a similiar demonstration of faith on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption and August 16, the Sunday.

The Archbishop plans to continue offering Masses  on the plaza, and another 13 Masses were scheduled for Sunday, August 30 at 9 a.m.  In addition, there is Sunday Mass at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Spanish) and a Vigil Mass on Saturday. 

Click here for full information.

[photo by Dennis Callahan, Catholic San Francisco]

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"Worship is a First Amendment Right...."

This is the year when distancing-learning came home--literally! Parents who would never have considered home-schooling are forming 'pods' with friends, and parents--whether they have to leave for work or are working at home--are baffled about how to oversee their children and their school-work and still make a living. While home-schooling has always seemed a bit off the beaten track to most parents, San Francisco resident Vivian Dudro has a few tips. She and her husband educated four children, with all of them at one point or another home-schooled, while at other times they attended 'regular' school. Here is her take on the advantages of home-schooling.
 

Can You Homeschool Your Children? Yes, You Can!

By Vivian W. Dudro

                As the new academic year fast approaches, recent studies show that many parents across the country are considering homeschooling their children because of uncertainty about the risks of Covid-19 and what schools are doing to address them. Having educated four now-adult children through eighth grade (and one of the four through high school), I have some tips and encouragement to offer parents who are considering homeschooling.
                1. First, let me state the obvious: in order to educate a child successfully, parents need to be actively engaged in their child’s learning. But before anyone gets scared off by this prospect, remember that parent involvement is what assures the academic success of any child, whether at home or in a brick-and-mortar school.
                2. But what if I don’t have the time?  Contrary to what you might expect, homeschooling doesn’t take all day. In fact, grammar school children need to spend only about three hours a day in active instruction to cover all the ground they cover during a school day. Parents are often surprised to hear this because their children spend so many hours at school and often have homework to do afterward. They don’t add up how much time in school is spent on other things besides actual instruction—everything from attendance to recess.
                3. Once parents understand that it takes only three hours to cover grade-school academic material each day, they can begin to visualize all the creative ways that teaching or supervising instruction could take place in their family: parents can take turns covering different subjects or parents can join together with other parents to form small learning groups for their children. In these arrangements parents can teach various subjects to the group or they can share the expense of hiring tutors for certain subjects. This latter option is particularly helpful for high school math, science, and foreign language.
                4. What about math and science? is another common question. First, there are so many excellent resources out there for children learning at home that there really is no such thing as a mountain too high in this regard. I know of some parents with no more than a high school diploma who successfully educated their children at home.
                5. And here is a fun but little-known fact—one of the great things about homeschooling is all the wonderful things you get to learn yourself. So many things I either never learned or learned poorly when I was young I discovered along with my children.
                6. For many families, the corona virus pandemic has been opportunity to get back to basics. In the more than 25 years I have been living in San Francisco, I have never seen so many parents playing outdoors with their children. When I see these parents, I feel like approaching them and saying, Cherish this time with your children. The years I spent with my young children--reading books aloud, walking on the beach, visiting museums (which sadly are still closed, but outdoors ones, at least, are open), and celebrating the riches of our Catholic faith— were the most joyful years of my life. Yes, they were challenging too, but the best things in life usually are.                  

Vivian Dudro is a senior editor at Ignatius Press. Over the years she has contributed articles to National Catholic Register, Catholic World Report, and Catholic San Francisco on topics related to faith and family life. 

By Valerie Schmalz,
Director of Human Life and Dignity
July 22, 2020

The Catholic bishops of California are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to develop safety protocols to allow children to return to in-person schooling, saying in a letter today “what our children will lose by ‘virtual; education—in terms of emotional development, skills and learning and achievement—will have a significant impact. In the name of protecting their health in the short-term, we may very likely be risking their long-term growth and potential.”

The bishops called on Gov. Newsom to “expedite issuing regulations that will enable local health authorities to grant waivers for pre-K, primary, and secondary schools to open for in-person instruction.”

And they noted: “Catholic schools are not just a concern for Catholics and it is not accurate to describe our schools as ‘private.’ Our schools serve an irreplaceable public good in giving young people the chance to realize the American dream, especially young people from racial minority and low-income families.  Across California, our schools serve mostly racial minority students, and more than half of our schools are located in urban or inner-city neighborhoods. Many of the children we serve are not Catholics.”

Well said!

The numbers collected by the state Department of Public Health support a compelling case for a return to in-person schooling.

The number of infections continued to climb in the state of California to above 413,000, YET, COVID-19 has claimed ZERO children’s lives in the Golden State. No deaths from COVID-19 have been recorded in anyone 17 or under as of this week. That’s according to the California Department of Public Health’s July 21 report found here.

Nevertheless, Gov. Newsom on Friday, July 17, announced that all TK-12 schools in California will be held to new requirements for resuming in-person instruction. With that order, schools in 33 counties across the state of California will begin the new school year with only distance learning. Schools can only reopen after the county where they are located is off the state watch list for 14 days. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has already announced it will have to start the school year with distance learning.  Update as of July 23 -- Archdiocese of San Francisco's Catholic elementary schools in San Francisco and Marin counties will also begin the year online. See Superintendent Pam Lyons' letter in English and Spanish.

In general, Catholic schools are able to return to in-person instruction, safely, with all the protocols that are required by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and they should be allowed to re-open—no matter what the public school districts decide.

Let’s be real—the decision for distance learning is going to be bad for the kids, and if it is possible to open schools and comply with public health protections—all schools should try to open.

 “The sad fact, and nobody wants to say it out loud, is that if we continue with distance learning, the vast majority of students will not get anywhere near what they would get in the classroom.” That’s from San Francisco School Board president Mark Sanchez, in a July 11 story written by Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle. Sanchez added: “That is doubly so for students who are already vulnerable.”

On Sunday, former SF Mayor Willie Brown wrote in his column in the Chronicle: “San Francisco Unified’s decision to open the school year with distance teaching will have a devastating effect on kids in the Bayview, Hunters Point and Mission. Many of them don’t come from families with a lot of technological advantages. Trying to teach them via computer is a joke and will put them further behind in their learning. Plus, keeping at-risk kids at home will have a terrible impact on the mental, physical and economic health of both the children and their families.”

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Letter from Catholic California Bishops to Gov. Newsom:Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Catholic Church in California has supported and cooperated with public officials’ efforts to contain the spread of this deadly disease, including closing our schools and suspending public worship. We took these steps, not because the government issued orders, but because our God is love and he calls us to love for our neighbors. That means working for the common good and protecting the sanctity and dignity of human life, taking special care for the poor and elderly, the sick and vulnerable.
In the wake of the coronavirus lockdowns, our schools made a remarkable transition to distance learning. Within days, all of our state’s Catholic schools were up and running teaching students online.

On Friday, the 17th of July, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that all TK-12 schools in California will be held to new requirements for resuming in-person instruction.  As a result, schools in 33 counties across the state of California will begin the new school year with only distance learning.
Catholic schools are not just a concern for Catholics and it is not accurate to describe our schools as “private.” Our schools serve an irreplaceable public good in giving young people the chance to realize the American dream, especially young people from racial minority and low-income families.  Across California, our schools serve mostly racial minority students, and more than half of our schools are located in urban or inner-city neighborhoods. Many of the children we serve are not Catholics.

We understand that the threat of the coronavirus is real and ongoing in our state. And we understand the legitimate concerns that teachers, parents, and elected officials have about the safety of returning to the classrooms this fall. At the same time, we are deeply concerned about the broader health and development issues for our children if the state presumes to rely only on distance learning until a vaccine is developed.
In-person learning, especially at the lower grades, provides emotional and social skills and supports that are crucial to early childhood development and the overall wellbeing of children which simply cannot be replaced.

What our children will lose by “virtual” education — in terms of emotional development, skills and learning and achievement — will have a significant impact. In the name of protecting their health in the short-term, we may very likely be risking their long-term growth and potential.
Our Catholic schools across the state have been diligently implementing the Centers for Disease Control guidance for schools and the recommendations of local health authorities in preparing to return to the classrooms. As many businesses, organizations, and government offices around the country are doing, we are making accommodations to adapt to the new realities caused by this pandemic.

The public-health science suggests that elementary-age students can return with low risk of infection or transmission of the virus among students or between students and teachers. So, we are urging Governor Newsom to continue the dialogue on this crucial question of how to reopen our schools safely.
We urge the Governor to expedite issuing regulations that will enable local health authorities to grant waivers for pre-K, primary, and secondary schools to open for in-person instruction.

Fast action by the Governor will allow decisions to be made on a case-by-case basis at the local level, by those public officials, along with educators, who are in the best position to evaluate safety concerns in individual schools.  
We stand ready to work with the Governor and our neighbors on this matter of vital concern to our great state and especially to its poor and minority peoples.

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