BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Archbishop-designate William Lori does not foresee having to give up his role as chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Religious Liberty, even as he heads for a significantly larger archdiocese as the one he heads now.
But he said his attention will be focused primarily on his new flock in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, with a particular eye to the “New Evangelization.”
Archbishop Lori, who has served for 11 years as bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., will be installed May 16 in America’s premier see. He held a press conference in Baltimore the day the Vatican announced his appointment, March 20, and another at the headquarters of the Diocese of Bridgeport today.
He said the New Evangelization is the priority of Pope Benedict XVI and every bishop.
“Evangelization is at the heart of the mission of the Church,” he said. “Evangelization is not something the Church does, alongside other things. Really, everything the Church does — whether it’s proclaiming and teaching the word, celebrating the sacraments or engaging in works of charity and education — everything is a proclamation of Christ.”
He added, “Everything should converge on helping the people of our times to open their hearts to Christ and the Gospel and to let that become a part of who they are, how they think, what they do, how they live their lives, and also that they would become part of advancing the mission of the Church.”
The new archbishop has already become well-known for his work as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty, including testifying before congressional committees considering legislation to secure religious freedom in the face of narrow exemptions for the U.S. Health and Human Services “contraceptive mandate” in the nation’s healthcare reform package. Having two auxiliary bishops and “what appears to be a wonderful, hardworking staff” in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, he said, will help give him the freedom to continue his work with the committee, and his new proximity to the nation’s capital will make it easier for him to testify on Capitol Hill.
Religious Liberty App
He said the committee soon will issue a “foundational statement” that “looks reflectively at the origins of religious liberty, how it is described in Church teaching, how it is described in foundational documents of the Church, and what are some of the broader threats to religious liberty beyond the HHS mandate.”
The archbishop said the committee will use that statement for “all kinds of communications; for example: pamphlets, bulletin inserts, apps — yes, there will be a religious-liberty app — blogs.”
Asked whether he had any comments as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments next week on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — often referred to as “Obamacare” — he said, “We’ll just be watching it carefully. Obviously, it could have some effect on what we’re doing and what we’re interested in. I would just say that the bishops have been in favor of universal access to health care since the conference was founded in 1919. So we’re a little ahead on that position.”
“But, all along, we argued that the health-care reform bill should have adequate conscience protection,” he continued. “It got passed without it. And we didn’t go looking for this [battle], but we have it, and we’re going to pursue all the remedies available to us as citizens — in all three branches of government.”
Archbishop-designate Lori faces similar battles on the local level as well. Maryland has a newly passed same-sex “marriage” law, but the Maryland Bishops’ Conference, which the archbishop will head, is already engaged in an effort to turn that law around with a voters’ referendum this fall.
“I will join with my brother bishops in making it clear about the Church’s consistent teaching on the nature of marriage as being between a man and a woman and as predating any government and any church as a fundamental structure of society. But what strategy we end up taking I don’t know yet. I’m just a little too new to the scene.”
Archbishop Lori said the bishops of the state are also supporting a referendum on the so-called Dream Act, which would allow many illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition.
“We are pastors of souls, and we believe people who are in immigrant families and who are productive and paying taxes should have opportunities,” he said.
A Listener
There have been rumors for months of Bishop Lori’s transfer to Baltimore, a post that became vacant when Cardinal Edwin O’Brien was appointed grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He said he was aware of the rumors, but that “with the help of a great spiritual director that I see on a regular basis, I decided it was far better to bracket that and keep my eye on the ball, which is the Diocese of Bridgeport.
“So, with the help of this great priest who looks after my soul, I guess I must have done it better than I thought because I was really genuinely surprised to see it come true.”
He said it has been a “joy and a privilege” to be bishop of Bridgeport and that he was happy that he leaves the diocese with 35-40 men studying for the priesthood.
He said that he hopes one lesson he takes from his 11 years in Connecticut and puts into place in Baltimore is the ability to listen to the people he serves. “You may know things about a diocese or archdiocese,” he said, “but never presume that you know it.”
Listening, he said, will help a bishop go beyond the facts about a diocese, to “absorb something of the culture and to really know both the opportunities and the challenges.”
John Burger is the Register’s news editor.
Tim Drake: Register Radio: Catholics in Politics and the Darkside of Disclosure Laws
Joseph Pronechen: Bishops Call for 'Rosary Novena for Life and Liberty'
Comments
Post a Comment
I had the blessing of sitting with Bishop Lori for an hour or so in his office as we discussed what he would speak about at the Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference. He chose to speak of his family life and of the positive influence his parents (especially his father) played in his life. That day, in his office, we spoke of many things. I was completely won over by his charm, intelligence, demeanor and humor. Some of the stories he told had me falling off my chair with laughter. He also won over 900+ men when he spoke at the conference. Connecticut will miss him, but in the duties he will be performing, he will be helping Connecticut and the entire nation. Lets’ keep him in our prayers.
The total population contained within the diocese of Baltimore is about three times larger than that of Bridgeport. Baltimore’s Catholic population (just over 500,000) is about 25% larger than Bridgeport’s (400,000).
wonderful to hear!
A hearty and loving welcome to our new archbishop-designate, William Lori. He is an answer to the prayers of many faithful Catholics as we contemplated receiving a new archbishop here in the primatial See of Baltimore. He is a man for our times and for all seasons. Connecticut’s loss is our gain! Many thanks to Cardinal Edwin O’Brien who laid the groundwork for Archbishop-designate Lori and for all of the good he did while here in Baltimore as our archbishop. We will miss Cardinal O’Brien, and we wish him God’s blessings as he prepares for his new assignment. This appointment of our new Archbishop Lori is a sign from God which proves that even in the midst of the increasing darkness of the Culture of Death, secular humanism and modernity, JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! Long live Archbishop Lori and Pope Benedict XVI! LONG LIVE CHRIST THE KING! JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!
Re the new evangelism. Since the major bullet points stated are: (1) Proclaiming and teaching the word, (2) Celebrating the sacraments, and (3) Engaging in works of charity and education, I think we need more information beyond this overview. Are the objectives directed toward marginal Catholics or the unchurched lost who do not know Christ? Put into perspective, celebrating the sacraments will mean nothing to someone who does not know Jesus. And “works of charity and education” likewise are certainly positive initiatives, however, if the gospel is not presented in parallel, such action will not evangelize anyone to Christ. Jesus commissioned the Apostles to teach the gospel to everyone before ascending. I am afraid that an emphasis on “good works” of charity and celebrating the sacraments without also witnessing the Good News of Jesus Christ is not real evangelization. It seems greater outreach into communities is needed to seek those who do not know the person of Jesus. Catholic run soup kitchens are fine as well. If, though, no invitations to church are extended **and to learn** who this “Jesus” is to lost people or families, the objective will fall short. Inviting someone to Mass but without a committed parish program to explain the gospel does not work. For a lost person, they cannot simply jump into RCIA. They need a pre-requisite of who Jesus is first.
Our parish just rolled out a plan on how to be in service of the New Evangelization. It is exciting, and a model to check out! We’ve divided our outreach into 6 areas, and everyone is encouraged to share their time and talent in the ministries.
http://www.sttimothymesa.org
God bless!
Janet- I checked out your parish web site, and it’s very impressive. I tried to find something that would tell Who Jesus is, and why we need Him to a person that did not already know our Lord as their Savior, and didn’t see anything.
Will something go up about first steps to being a Christian, or is your parish focusing only on making more Apologists for the Catholic Church and what She teaches, to the exclusion of the Bible? I ask because I know a few Catholics that theink to “evangelize” is to put a bumper sticker on ones car, advertising Catholic radio. My opinion is to preach the word directly from the New Testament. Just wondering what your parish had in mind. Your web site looks great, so far.
To be an evangelizer you must be living the Gospel message and following Holy Mother Church. To be an evangelizing parish you must have parishioners that don’t run committees or work for the programs we put on,we need parishioners that live the message and are obedient to the Church and have huge smiles. Evangelization is a way of life not something we do for the parish. You can only live scripture by meeting Jesus in the people around you, so evangelization means that the whole spirit of the parish must turn away from what we are doing to who we are being, who do people see when they see us.
I am using an evangelization process from ChristLife and we have watched our people going through this process change. We had about 110 people including the helpers to put it on go through this process and we watched people change. We have about 80 going through the second portion of the process and they are willing to go deeper and see what changes they need to make in their lives to go from meeting Jesus to living as His disciple. It is amazing to see everyone from pew warmers, to involved volunteers, to CCD teachers fill with the Spirit and return to the Sacrament of Confession, to become involved in ministries and to watch them reach out as smiling, welcoming people at Mass. They are seeding the parish for change. Thank you ChristLife.
@Mom at Home: Congratulations on the mobilization taking place in your parish. I am interested, though, in what your definition is regarding “you must be living the gospel message.” Too often, we become insular and only feel comfortable around like-minded people we know and are fellow Catholics in our own parish and perhaps a neighboring parish. What are you doing to witness the gospel to people who are not Catholic or those who do not know Jesus? Does the ChristLife program prepare you for seeking the lost? Jesus commissioned his people to spread the Good News. Doing good and charitable works is very laudible, but even those of non-belief perform good works. We need to be equipped to tell people about Christ always. This is, in my view, the more correct view of evangelization.
Post a Comment
By submitting this form, you give The National Catholic Register permission to publish this comment. Comments will be published at our discretion, and may be edited for clarity and length. For best formatting, please limit your response to one paragraph and don't hit "enter" to force line breaks.