• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, celebrates Mass Nov. 12 at the fall general assembly of the USCCB in Baltimore. (CNS photo/Bob Roller)

Archbishop Hebda urges bishops to give all, show commitment to change

November 13, 2018
By Christopher Gunty
Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, Feature, Local News, News, World News

Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis delivers the homily during Mass Nov. 12 at the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. (CNS photo/Bob Roller)

BALTIMORE – Dressed in penitential purple vestments, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, led the bishops of the United States in a Mass to open their fall general meeting Nov. 12 here.

Unlike most other years when the bishops left the hotel to celebrate Mass in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary or another Baltimore church, the Mass was offered in the makeshift chapel set up in the hotel, where they had spent most of the first day of their meeting in prayer and penitence in the presence of the exposed Blessed Sacrament.

The day of prayer included readings from the prophet Daniel and Sts. Gregory of Nazianzus and Charles Borromeo and reflections by three lay people and a religious sister, including two people who are victim-survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

In his homily for the Mass, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul-Minneapolis, said that providence provided inspirational readings for the day on the appropriate patronal feast of St. Josephat, a 16th-century “brother bishop who gave his life for his sheep.”

St. Josephat “was put to death for his steadfast commitment to church unity,” the archbishop said.

In the Gospel reading for the day from the 17th chapter of Luke, Jesus tells his disciples: “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.”

The archbishop said two prayers for the feast day were appropriate: the first is a prayer for the strength to lay down our lives for others; the second is a prayer to follow St. Josephat’s example “so that we might willingly spend our lives working for the honor and unity of the church.”

Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, N.M, center, listens to the homily during Mass Nov. 12 at the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. (CNS photo/Bob Roller)

As the bishops completed the day of prayer and prepared for the coming days of meetings, both prayers are needed.

Reflecting on the first prayer, Archbishop Hebda said, “It is not a prayer for ‘save our own hides’ strength, but rather it’s a prayer for strength to make the sacrifices we need in order to put our flock first, the strength that is tied to love, that is sourced in love.”

He said the bishops must have love in their hearts for those who have been harmed. He thanked by name the two victim-survivors who gave reflections for the bishops during the day of prayer, Teresa Pitt Green and Luis A. Torres Jr., who were “wounded by their experiences with priests,” he said.

“I know you to be compassionate men. I trust that your hearts were moved by their stories – stories repeated all too often throughout our church.”

Archbishop Hebda said the bishops have to be “strong enough to stand with Teresa and Luis and all those who share their stories with us, not afraid to look into the wound that has been inflicted on them and on the body of Christ.”

The archbishop said that one of his frequent critics in his archdiocese reflects on Caravaggio’s painting “The Incredulity of Thomas,” in which the Apostle is seen putting his finger into the wound in Christ’s side.

He said his critic says that the bishops have to live “at the lip of the wound in the modern-day body of Christ.”

Like St. Josephat, the bishops need to have “the same deep love to accompany our brothers and sisters into the wound so that they and we might experience the healing that Christ desires for those who have been hurt – the healing that Christ desires for his church and from his church.”

“Might I suggest that we be ask that we blessed with the strength in these days to admit those errors and lapses in judgment that caused the types of harm that Teresa and Luis described. The strength to tell the truth. The strength to come clean. The strength to admit our weaknesses and ask for help.”

Archbishop Hebda said he was pleased that Pitt Green and Torres were able to talk about some of the good that has come about in the church since the bishops passed the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People in 2002, whether in the form of protection of children or in victim assistance.

“That should give us hope, brothers,” he said, “that our efforts can make a difference and are making a difference.”

Without mentioning the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report in August and revelations in early summer of allegations of misconduct by former Washington Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Hebda said the bishops need to be newly attentive to the new layers of the wound that have become painfully evident recently.

Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput prays during Mass Nov. 12 at the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. (CNS photo/Bob Roller)

Reflecting on the Gospel reading, he asked why bishops have been so slow to rebuke other bishops who have abused power and their position to the detriment of the faithful. He hopes fear will not get in the way of a process for setting up an in-depth study of the problems that have led to abuse.

He said the bishops need to avoid factionalism and promote unity with the whole church. “We need to be bold, we need to be decisive, but we need to do that in a way that serves the unity of the church, not only with the See of Rome but also within the church in the United States,” Archbishop Hebda said.

He said that Pitt Green and Torres reminded the bishops of the urgency of the task before them. “This, brothers, is our moment to give it our all, to listen attentively to those who are hurt, to listen deeply with discerning ears and hearts to each other as we share the fruits of our prayer, the fruit of our discussion, the fruit of our experience. And to act in a way that convincingly shows our commitment to change.”

If they find the work ahead difficult, they should keep in their mind the image of Pitt Green and Torres and other victim-survivors who have shared their experiences with the bishops in the course of their pastoral work – “the sheep for whom we, out of love, need to lay down our lives,” Archbishop Hebda said.

Appropriately, the Communion song for the Mass was “There Is a Balm in Gilead,” whose refrain calls for making the wounded whole and healing “the sin-sick soul.”

The Mass included music ministers and a choir from the archdiocese. Deacon Sean Keller assisted as master of ceremonies and Deacon Kevin Reid was the deacon of the Word, while Deacon Seigfried Presberry was the deacon of the Eucharist.

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Christopher Gunty

A Chicago-area native, Christopher Gunty is associate publisher/editor of The Catholic Review and CEO of its parent publishing company, The Cathedral Foundation/CR Media. He also serves as a host of Catholic Review Radio.

He has spent his whole professional career in Catholic journalism as a writer, photographer, editor, circulation manager and associate publisher. He spent four years with The Chicago Catholic; 19 years as founding editor and associate publisher of The Catholic Sun in Phoenix, Ariz.; and six years at The Florida Catholic. In July 2009, he came to Baltimore to lead The Cathedral Foundation.

Chris served as president of the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada from 1996 to 1998, and has traveled extensively learning about and reporting on the work of the church, including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Haiti, Poland, Italy, Germany and finally in 2010 visited the Holy Land for the first time.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Pre-Vatican II Mass was formed by ‘clericalization,’ says papal preacher
  • ‘God showed up in a very powerful, powerful way’: Archdiocese of Hartford investigating possible eucharistic miracle
  • Men urged to be on fire for faith at Catholic Men’s Fellowship of Maryland conference
  • Cathedral of Mary Our Queen to host world premiere of Passion setting
  • Suspect pleads not guilty in murder of LA Auxiliary Bishop O’Connell

| Latest Local News |

Ellicott City resident named president of Catholic Charities D.C.

Men urged to be on fire for faith at Catholic Men’s Fellowship of Maryland conference

Maryland entrepreneurs get support for start-ups at local Catholic universities

| Latest World News |

Pope hospitalized for respiratory infection, Vatican says

Don’t treat Jesus as an idea, invite him into your heart, pope says

Nashville shooting was ‘senseless act of violence,’ pope says in telegram

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • 7 Lessons I Learned at Disney World
  • Líderes católicos expresan su dolor e indignación por las decenas de inmigrantes muertos en un incendio
  • Pope hospitalized for respiratory infection, Vatican says
  • Don’t treat Jesus as an idea, invite him into your heart, pope says
  • Ellicott City resident named president of Catholic Charities D.C.
  • El Papa Francisco reza por los migrantes muertos en un ‘trágico’ incendio cerca de la frontera entre México y Estados Unidos
  • Nashville shooting was ‘senseless act of violence,’ pope says in telegram
  • Pope Francis prays for migrants killed in ‘tragic’ fire near U.S.-Mexico border
  • Catholic leaders express sorrow, outrage over dozens of migrants killed in fire

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED