LA GUADALUPANA and The New Evangelization

The following comes from Zenit.org:

On the first full day of an international congress on "Ecclesia in America," Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus, offered reflections in light of the message given by Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego.

The three-day conference under way in the Vatican is to reflect on themes brought up in the synod on the Americas, which was convened 15 years ago by Blessed Pope John Paul II.

Calling to mind the Virgin Mary in her title as Empress of the Americas, Anderson noted: On Dec. 12, 1531, "the last day of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe, when St. Juan Diego took a different path in order to find a priest for his dying uncle, Our Lady met him on his detour and posed these questions: 'My youngest son, what is going on? Where are you going? Where are you headed?'"

"Today, during this Congress, we ask the very same questions: What is going on? Where are we going? Where are we headed?"

The supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus went on to say that just as it was during the 16th century in Mexico, today there is a clash of civilizations that has increased over time due to globalization.

"Juan Diego spoke of the plague killing his uncle. We confront another illness -- one just as deadly. And like Juan Diego, it is the care for the human family which brings us here today. Her intervention can come none too soon. The wisdom of Ecclesia in America is apparent," he said.

A blueprint

Anderson applauded the apostolic exhortation's view of the American continent as various countries, but a single entity with a clear vision of a "humanity encountering Christ." Calling the exhortation a "blueprint for the New Evangelization," Anderson stated that "it presents a vision of an 'enculturated' evangelization, in which our diversity is sanctified and purified in its communion in the Church by orienting us toward Christ and therefore to our brethren as well."

"Five centuries ago, our hemisphere was given the perfect example of an enculturated evangelization when Mary appeared to Saint Juan Diego. Her message of reconciliation, unity and love brought forth the great evangelization of an entire hemisphere. By her very presence, Our Lady of Guadalupe became the first and great model of Christian unity presented to all peoples and rising above national and ethnic partisanship," he said.

Anderson also drew a comparison between the time that the apparitions of Guadalupe and today's day , where there is an expectation of war.

"Do we not see in our contemporary culture, a culture which in the words of Evangelium Vitae, 'it is possible to speak in a certain sense of a war of the powerful against the weak?'  Do we not also see with Blessed John Paul II 'a structure of sin' in a culture that concludes that 'a life which would require greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless, or held to be an intolerable burden, and is therefore rejected in one way or another?'" he asked.

Anderson said that this type of war brought about a culture of death which was explained by Blessed Pope John Paul II during his papacy. "The encounter with this culture is fundamental to the new evangelization and it is fundamental to the future of the Christianity in our hemisphere," Anderson said.

Charity and laity

The head of the Knights of Columbus went on to speak on the role of Our Lady of Guadalupe as a model for all Christians and the role that charity and the laity play in the new evangelization in the Americas.

Concluding his address, Anderson told the participants of the international congress that it is crucial for the Church in North, Central and South America to "take the opportunity to find cultural unity through a shared religious identity and value system."

"In a cultural context where the Church is seen as preaching from “outside” the culture, the witness of the laity and of all Christians inside the culture is critical. This was the witness of the first Christians that sparked an interest in Christianity in this very city in what we might call the first wave of evangelization. This is the model that converted the entire American continent. And this is the model for the New Evangelization as well, not only in America, but throughout the world," Anderson concluded.

RELICS OF 6 MARTYRED PRIESTS TOUR US

The following comes from Zenit.org:

A tour of the relics of six priests killed during Mexico's Cristero War in the 1920s began a tour of the United States, starting last weekend in Houston.

Pope John Paul II canonized the six martyrs with other victims of the Cristero War in 2000.

The tour began last Friday at the co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, where the Knight of Columbus Texas state convention was under way. The priest-martyrs were members of the Knights of Columbus.

Fathers Pedro de Jesús Maldonado Lucero, Miguel de la Mora de la Mora, José María Robles Hurtado, Luis Batiz Sainz, Rodrigo Aguilar Aleman, and Mateo Correa Magallanes -- were all martyred for their faith by the Mexican government during the religious persecution in Mexico in the early 20th century.

The relics will also visit Phoenix and Tucson, in Arizona, and Los Angeles, California, as well as San Antonio, Texas.

"For many years, this period of history has been all but forgotten on both sides of the border," said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. "This year, with the release of both a major motion picture and a book on this subject, the story of the struggle for religious freedom in Mexico will begin to be told. It is our hope that the pilgrimage of these relics will remind us all of the sacrifices made on behalf of religious liberty on this continent less than 100 years ago. It is a timely reminder that -- from ancient Rome to 1920s Mexico to today -- persecution does not stifle the faith, but emboldens it."

For Greater Glory -- a film being released in the United States June 1, and already finding huge success in Mexico -- takes the history of this period to the big screen with an all-star cast including Andy Garcia, Peter O'Toole and Eva Longoria.

Despite the support of the Mexican regime and its anti-Catholic policies by a number of American groups -- including the Ku Klux Klan -- pressure from the Knights of Columbus and others helped bring the persecution to an official end and, in 1929, the U.S. government helped broker an agreement between the Mexican government and the Catholic Church, ending the worst of the persecution.

Supreme Knight: America needs religious awakening

The following comes from the CNA:

The leader of the Knights of Columbus called for strong Catholic witnesses to defend religious liberty before a gathering of roughly 1000 members of the faith in Washington, D.C.

At the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast on April 19, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson called for “a new Great Awakening in America,” in which Catholics “play a greater role than ever before.”

Anderson warned that the present moment is a critical one for the future of religious freedom in the United States and urged Catholics to call on God as they work to preserve this fundamental liberty.

“The spirit of our age is profoundly secular,” he cautioned. “And secularism accepts religion – if it accepts it at all – only on its own terms.”

During his remarks, he observed that religious freedom benefits not only believers but society as a whole.

Catholics “value religious liberty not only because it protects our personal autonomy,” he explained, but “because of the good which religion brings into the life of the individual believer and into the life of our nation.”

Anderson argued that the historical connection between Christian and liberty was not a coincidence but something fundamental.

The American founders unequivocally stated that people’s basic, inalienable rights came from their Creator, he said, and those views “have echoed down through our history,” stated by individuals from George Washington to John F. Kennedy to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Yet today we find a new hostility to the role of religious institutions in American life at a time when government is expanding its reach in extraordinary ways,” he said.

He pointed to the recent Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC case, in which the Obama administration attempted to restrict the definition of a religious minister to those “who perform exclusively religious functions,” a definition that was unanimously rejected by the Supreme Court in January.

Furthermore, he observed, Catholics across the country have rallied in opposition to a federal mandate that will require employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and abortion drugs, even if doing so violates their religious beliefs.

He also noted that after successfully running a program to help human trafficking victims, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was recently denied its request for a grant renewal when the administration decided to prohibit funding of groups that would not provide or refer for abortion and contraception.

Anderson said that these recent infringements upon religious liberty show that America is now seeing “a new government intolerance of religion,” under which “religion is subordinated to the political interests of the secular state.”

“A government willing to affect the faith and mission of the church is a government willing to change the identity of the church,” the Supreme Knight cautioned, questioning what further violations of religious freedom can be expected from such an administration.

As Christians we are called to be witnesses, praying and working to preserve our Catholic identity, he said.

Although the struggle will be difficult, we have a “reason for hope” based on past successes, even “in the face of established power structures,” he added.

“Every great religious renewal in America has led to an advance in civil rights,” he said, recalling the contribution of religious efforts to the founding of America, the abolition of slavery and the push for racial equality.

Now, Anderson said, Catholics must come together and make their voices heard in order “to keep open the doors of religious liberty.”

Knights of Columbus to Buy JP II Cultural Center in DC

The following comes from the CNA:

The Knights of Columbus announced Aug. 2 that it will buy the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., to create a shrine and museum honoring the life of Blessed Pope John Paul II.

“I take great pride in reporting,” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said at the group's conference in Denver, that “the Knights of Columbus will be at the forefront of preserving his legacy for generations to come.”

Anderson said within the next year, the knights will work closely with Cardinal Donald Wuerl of the Archdiocese of Washington and Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit to establish a national center, permanent museum and Shrine of Blessed John Paul II.

The Supreme Knight made his remarks at the Knights of Columbus' 129th annual convention, this year held in downtown Denver from Aug. 2-4.

Cardinal Wuerl praised the development, saying the shrine will provide “a focal point for increased devotion to Blessed John Paul II and an ongoing recognition of his legacy.”

Archbishop Vigneron expressed gratitude to the knights for “stepping forward to make this transaction a reality” and applauded their efforts to “strengthen the vision of the Center and continue the intended purpose for the building and land.”

The John Paul II center – which was the initiative of now-retired Archbishop of Detroit Cardinal Adam Maida – has been beset by numerous financial difficulties over the years and borrowed heavily from the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Recently, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist based in Ann Arbor, Michigan made a bid for the center but withdrew in March due to lack of funding.

Anderson told Knights of Columbus members during their business session at the convention Tuesday that the organization plans for the center to “be a place where English, Spanish and French-speaking pilgrims from throughout North America will encounter the mission and legacy of one of history's greatest popes.”

“It will also be a place where our children and grandchildren will learn about their great heritage as Catholics,” he added. “True to Pope John Paul II’s vision, and using the story of his life as an inspiration, this Shrine will be an opportunity to evangelize and spread the good news of the Gospel through a New Evangelization.”

He noted that purchasing the site was fitting, given the Knights of Columbus' longstanding support for nearby institutions in D.C. such as the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Catholic University of America, and the U.S. bishops' conference.

Anderson also said the endeavor has received strong support from the Vatican. He quoted a letter from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who offered his “heartfelt” praise for the initiative and expressed his appreciation to the order for helping “cultivate devotion” to the late Pontiff.

“I am deeply gratified that your Order has wished to carry forward that vision as part of your commitment to the new evangelization and to the strengthening of the Church's witness to Christ at every level of American society,” Cardinal Bertone told Anderson.

The Supreme Knight reflected on the legacy of Blessed John Paul II, saying that because of his tireless evangelization efforts, “an entire generation of Catholics has become known as the John Paul II Generation.”

We are “honored to continue to spread his profound and powerful message of hope for our country, our continent and our world,” he added.

Archbishop Chaput: Effective Church reform demands repentance, faith

The following comes from the CNA:

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver said that true reform of the Church requires deep faith and repentance from all members of the faith, including clergy, religious and laity alike.

“Renewal begins not in vilifying others, but in examining ourselves honestly, repenting of our own sins, and changing ourselves,” the archbishop said.

“We are all in need of God's mercy. When we really understand that, we can speak to each other with both honesty and love, and restoring the mission of the Church can begin.”

Archbishop Chaput, who was recently appointed to lead the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, made his remarks at the Knight of Columbus' 129th annual convention, this year held in downtown Denver, Colo. from Aug. 2-4.

The opening Mass at the Sheraton Hotel on Aug. 2 – packed to the brim with knights in colorful regalia and their families – was also concelebrated by 10 cardinals, 70 archbishops and bishops and more than 100 priests.

During his homily, Archbishop Chaput underscored that along with repentance, the “second thing needed for any lasting Church reform” is faith.

“Not faith as theology, or faith as a collection of doctrines and practices, but faith as a single minded confidence in God,” and faith, “as the imprudence, the passion, the recklessness to give ourselves entirely to Jesus Christ,” he said.

“That kind of faith changes people. That kind of faith shifts the world on its axis because nothing can stand against it.”

Archbishop Chaput also urged respect and recognition for all vocations within the Church, saying that each are different but have their essential roles.

“The Church belongs to Jesus Christ, and the different roles within the Christian community – clergy, laity and religious life – have equal dignity but different purposes.”

In particular, the clergy's leadership in the Church should always be marked with humility and service “and never by a sense of entitlement,” he said. “Bishops, priests and deacons are too often weak and sinful. They need to be held to high standards. Some deserve to be chastised.”

“But men and women didn't found the Church, they don't own her, and they have no license to reinvent her.”

Although sin and failure “need to be named,” he said, “when people deride their bishops and priests out of pride and resentment or some perverse desire for what they perceive as 'power,' they undermine the Church herself, and they set themselves against the God whose vessel she is.”

Citing the example of St. Peter in the Gospel, when Christ invites him to walk out on to the water, Archbishop Chaput said that “as long as Peter keeps his eyes and his heart fixed on Jesus Christ, he can do the impossible.”

But the “moment he gives into doubt and fear, he begins to sink. So it is with our personal faith and so it is with the life and health of the Church.”

The Knights of Columbus convention in Denver this week brings together 500 delegates – including 85 bishops – from the global, 1.8 million member organization.