For various reasons, I have been slow to share my own thoughts with you about our USCCB meeting in Baltimore earlier this month. I needed time to sit and pray with all the events and input of the week. I am sure about two things, one; the People of God need to hear from their bishops in the wake of our meeting in Baltimore, and two, there is hope for our future. No Vote: Without a doubt, the ‘show-stopper’ moment came at the beginning of our meeting, when Cardinal DiNardo announced that he had only […]
After three months of painful revelations of sexual misconduct of priests and bishops, along with allegations that some bishops covered up these criminal behaviors, this weekend we are seeing some positive developments. Before I spell out these new developments, it bears saying once again, that as Church, and as an Archbishop, we apologize again to victims of sexual abuse. My prayer and plea during these past few months is that by our actions we give clear evidence that we are listening compassionately to victims while at the same time taking actions to report their claims […]
Today, Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement updating the public to recent actions taken by USCCB leaders to address the issues of abuse and accountability of bishops. It is important that the faithful people of God hear that the USCCB is taking action in these days. With that in mind, I share the statement of Cardinal DiNardo here: “In communion with the Holy Father, I join the Executive Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in taking upon ourselves […]
Today, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Fatih released a document entitled Placuit Deo, On Certain Aspects of Christian Salvation. The focus is on the gift of Salvation that is ours through Jesus Christ. Likewise, the document draws attention to some of the errors in today’s concept of the human person as well as certain concepts of Christian Salvation that can be difficult for people to properly understand. The document seeks to correct two modern ways of thinking, which are called a ‘neo-pelagianism’ which is an extreme individualism which believes each person is capable […]
In recent months, I’ve been prayerfully asking: “What kind of Church is God calling us to be today?” I believe that much of the answer lies in the papacy of Pope Francis. As St. Francis himself was called to ‘Renew my Church” I believe we are being called to a renewal in our time by this Pope. I’m all in! As a new year begins, I wish to share with you some basic components of where we will be directing our energies in the foreseeable future. Already planning is underway to schedule a series of […]
I have written numerous times in this blog that one of the primary (If not THE Primary) solutions to many of our social ills today is a proper understanding – in fact recognition – of the human person. In today’s Gospel, (Luke 13:10-17) there is a woman present in the Synagogue where Jesus is teaching. She for eighteen years ‘had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.’ She made no demand or request of Jesus. She was simply ‘present’ before Jesus, in the midst of the assembly in […]
After ten months in office, there was a distinct sense during last night’s celebration of the Imposition of the Pallium by Apostolic Nuncio, +Christophe Pierre, that this date was chosen by our Blessed Mother. On the Nativity of Mary, I received the gift of the Pallium in the presence of the bishops, priests and a church full of the faithful representing the Province of Alaska. Archbishop Pierre graciously accepted the invitation to give the homily during Mass, and gave a beautiful reflection on the importance of symbol in our faith, and in this case, the […]
During the June Pilgrimage to Rome, I was aware of many graces, not the least of which is the unity that we share as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. This truth was represented in a small way by the group that travelled with me, from the various places of my life and ministry – Indiana, Wyoming, and Alaska; and in its fullness as the new Archbishops from around the world celebrated Mass with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square. The universality of the Church is a beautiful mystery and reality, one that calls us […]
In these recent days, I have been taking time for rest and relaxation. For months, people have been encouraging me to take advantage of all that Alaska has to offer, and that is what I am doing in these days. As you hopefully know, one of the great wonders of Alaska is the salmon. Last week, at the generosity of several good folks, I flew to Illiamna for a few days of fishing for Red Salmon on the New Halen River. While the veterans among us generally caught their limits, I on the other hand […]
Pope Francis continues to inspire. As I walked across St. Peter’s Square today, I was stopped by some people. In a conversation with a gentleman who told me he is not Catholic, he said that it is his impression that Pope Francis is getting the attention of many more people than those who call themselves Catholic, and I would agree. During yesterday’s homily, the Holy Father continued to repeat a consistent message – we each must manifest Christ in our lives – in our actions – in our care for one another. Those who claim […]