Pastoral Ministries

Respect Life Office

For many Catholics of the United States, the parish became an intimate part of their lives, very often the most intimate part of their lives after the family. After all, it was within the parish context that so many of us celebrated the most deeply experienced moments of life: birth and baptism, first communion and confirmation, engagement and marriage, illness and death.

Nearly 40 years ago the parish -- and every part of the church -- was catapulted into an adventure in the Spirit by the Second Vatican Council. It has been called a new Pentecost, but it has also been like the experience of Abraham who, called by faith, went forth not knowing where he was going. Like Abraham, we had left the security of a familiar home for a Promised Land whose features we could not fully discern.

Most people experienced the council as the changes that occurred in parish life, especially the liturgical renewal. The most notable aspect of liturgical change was the greater participation of the whole congregation in worship, and that was representative of a fundamental shift brought about by Vatican II. Henceforth, not only were the clergy and religious responsible for the parish as a place where faith flourishes. All parishioners now shared that responsibility.

And so we began the task of creating the structures of participation and accountability which make the council's vision for parish life a reality.

At the conclusion of the Great Jubilee Year 2000, the Holy Father gave a beautiful and challenging gift to the church with the apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte (“At the Beginning of the New Millennium”).

Holiness

In the apostolic letter there is rich material for pastoral planning at both the Archdiocesan and parish levels. I will draw on the challenges the pope has put before the church as we reflect on "Renewing Parishes: Becoming Places Where Faith Flourish…our parishes have been -- and must remain significant to our people as the places where our faith, first nourished within the family for most of us, flourished in a wider community of believers that we call a parish.

At the dawn of this third millennium, the Holy Father has challenged the church to what he called "a new impetus in Christian living, making it the force which inspires our journey of faith." A renewed Christian living will focus more on a person than a plan, namely, on Jesus Christ, who continually asks the parish, "Who do you say that I am?" The answer to that direct question must be more than the identification of the historical Jesus as the Son of God, but it must be a faith response which embraces the personal adherence of each believer to Jesus and all that he revealed. Any specific pastoral plan, in the pope's view, would be a pastoral revitalization of proclaiming Jesus Christ and the Gospel values in a manner in which the parish truly becomes a community of faith. He offered certain pastoral priorities that should form the plan for the journey of faith

Training in Holiness

The first priority is holiness. “Can holiness ever be planned?,” the pope inquired. Since baptism is an entry into the holiness of the Trinitarian life of God, it is also the entrance to personal holiness. At the Easter vigil we ask catechumens, "Do you wish to be baptized?" The Holy Father suggests that this question really means, "Do you want to be holy?" The parish that takes this question seriously will propose to its members a plan which will help them attain high standards of Christian living. The pope called such a plan "training in holiness," which should be offered to everyone and include traditional means as well as new forms of achieving holiness, but adapted to the circumstances of modern life

Prayer

Training in holiness would embrace the second priority: prayer. We have to learn anew the art of praying. Where better than the parish to learn both personal prayer and liturgical prayer, which is the summit and source of the church's life? The Holy Father calls for parishes to be "genuine schools of prayer" in which prayer is learned as a dialogue of love in which parishioners become wholly possessed by the Trinitarian love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Opening our hearts to the love of God also opens them to the love of our sisters and brothers. The pope is insistent that education in prayer become "in some way a key point of all pastoral planning." How often is prayer the key point of pastoral planning in parishes and in Archdioceses? I suspect it would be rare. The Holy Father had words of praise for parishes in which the laity participate in morning and evening prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours

Eucharist.

The third priority is the Sunday Eucharist. It is obvious, he said, that our principal attention should be given to the liturgy. The liturgy is not only the summit and source of all the church's activity, but it is also the principal source which nourishes faith. The Sunday Eucharist that is celebrated with care and devotion, in which each minister properly fulfills his or her assigned role and in which the assembly truly participates is essential to a "truly informed and consistent Christian life." There is nothing more effective than a prayerful Sunday Eucharist for nourishing faith and forming a dynamic parish. In my experience, our best and most active parishes, where the spirit of communion among parishioners is a reality, are those with good Sunday liturgies, which, of course, includes a well-prepared homily. The parishes with good liturgies are also the parishes with good social services that involve many parishioners in serving the needs of the poor. In the words of the Holy Father, the Sunday Eucharist is "the privileged place where communion is ceaselessly proclaimed and nurtured."

Reconciliation

The next priority urges pastors to have a "renewed pastoral courage" in presenting to their people the practice of the sacrament of reconciliation. The Holy Father insists that we pastors call for a rediscovery of Christ as mysterium pietatis (the mystery of compassion), the one in whom God shows us a compassionate heart. The crisis of the sacrament should not cause us to lack courage, creativity and perseverance in presenting this sacrament and leading people to appreciate it. A renewed appreciation of the sacrament of mercy would result in a renewed parish which brings to us sinners the forgiving power of God that touches our lives with peace and joy and will contribute to a growth in faith for one of the most precious of God's gifts to the church. How often is the sacrament of penance a subject of pastoral planning, which in new and creative ways encourages a greater participation in receiving this sacrament?

Word of God

The primacy of holiness and prayer, the primacy of the Eucharist and sacramental confession cannot be achieved without a renewed listening to the word of God. The Second Vatican Council inspired a greater study and listening to sacred Scripture. This development needs to be "consolidated and deepened" on the Archdiocesan as well as the parish levels. The pope suggests that each parish should make sure that every family has a Bible.

Evangelization

Following the study of the word of God is its proclamation, the work of evangelization, surely a priority for every parish. There are several good and effective programs of evangelization available today, and a parish would fail to nourish the faith of its members if it did not inspire them to a new sense of mission for proclaiming Christ to others. Christ must be presented with confidence, "without ever hiding the most radical demands of the Gospel message," especially to young people, who have demonstrated a desire to respond with great generosity to the challenges of the jubilee year. A parish without a pastoral plan of evangelization is not seriously interested in nourishing an active faith in parishioners.

Communion of Love

The Holy Father concludes the apostolic letter with a plea that the "communion of love" be the primary witness in every parish. Pastoral planning, he said, will necessarily be inspired by the new commandment of love. "To make the church the home and school of communion" is the great challenge of the new millennium. Before making any practical plans, the pope suggests that a "spirituality of communion" be promoted. He defines this as the "ability to see what is positive in others, to welcome it and prize it as a gift from God." It also means to know how to make room for our brothers and sisters, bearing each other's burdens."

Spirituality of Communion

In the spirituality of communion all parishioners of varying economic and social background, including different races, nationalities, languages and cultures, meet each other as equals and as brothers and sisters to one another in Christ. In the spirituality of communion, the many differences among parishioners do not make any difference at all.  All are equal in Christ. All are sisters and brothers, all are children of God. Many parishes today have a great diversity of races, nationalities and languages among parishioners. It requires serious effort and attention to achieve a "communion of love" among them.

Practical and Concrete Love for All

The spirituality of communion leads to "a commitment to practical and concrete love for every human being," which must be evident in "the church's whole activity and her pastoral planning." Matthew's 25th chapter, in which we are taught to see Christ in the face of those who are hungry, thirsty, naked and in prison, is not a simple invitation to do charitable acts; but the pope said this classical text is "a page of Christology which sheds a ray of light on the mystery of Christ. By these words, no less than by the orthodoxy of her doctrine, the church measures her fidelity as the bride of Christ." This statement should be attached to the wall of the room where the parish pastoral council meets.

The Holy Father calls for a new creativity in pastoral planning so that the "hand that helps is seen not as a humiliating handout but as a sharing between brothers and sisters." We must ensure, he said, that in every parish "the poor feel at home." As a part of the mission of charity, pastoral planning commits the parish to "respect for the life of every human being from conception to natural death." The parish which does not address these social issues in pastoral planning with proposed steps for action is not serious about faith leading to good works.

Practical Structure

The parish pastoral council is a practical structure that flows from the spirituality of communion. In the pastoral council the pastor and parishioners engage in a dialogue about all aspects of parish life and come to workable and fruitful decisions which establish the mission of the parish and give direction to all its activities. The pastoral council "must be ever more highly valued," the pope said, and he encouraged pastors to listen more widely to the entire people of God. He quotes St. Paulinus of Nola: "Let us listen to what all the faithful say, because in every one of them the Spirit of God breathes."

Conclusion

Almost 40 years after the council, it is a great disappointment that many parishes still do not have a pastoral council. And some pastoral councils function poorly or only exist on paper. The same sad neglect can be said about the lack of parish finance councils. If there is one area of parish life that every diocese must insist upon, it is that every parish have a well-functioning pastoral council and a finance council that truly represent the diversity of parishioners and reflect on what the pope called “a fruitful dialogue between pastors and faithful: On the one hand uniting them a priori in all that is essential and on the other hand leading them to ponder agreement in matters open to discussion.”

Parishes are places where faith flourishes when pastors enable parishioners to be intimately and fully involved in answering the question Jesus posed long ago, “Who do you say that I am?” Pastoral planning with parishioners will answer with the words of Peter, “You are the Christ, the Son of God,” and every aspect of parish activity will in one way or another proclaim that confession of faith.

For St. Paul, faith defines what being a Christian means. It is a dynamic reality that begins with baptism and by grace unfolds as a total openness to accepting the Gospel. The dynamism of faith directs the believer toward the proclamation of the Gospel, which must be lived each day as a witness to the truth of the paschal mystery by which we are saved (cf. 1 Cor. 15:1-9).

The primary responsibility of the church is to express faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior as is done in the Creed each Sunday and then to express faith in action, which ranges from the celebration of the liturgy to sheltering the homeless and feeding the hungry. Faith in action embraces Scripture study clubs as well as defending the unborn and opposing the death penalty. Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ (cf. Rom. 10:17), but faith without good works is useless (cf. Jas. 2:17).

Parishes, then, are communities of faith in Jesus Christ, in which faith is nourished and strengthened not only through preaching, teaching and worshiping, but by faith in action, by being doers of the word and not hears only (cf. Jas. 1:22-25). Pastoral planning that is focused on faith

Origins Vol. 30: No. 5 Reprinted by permission
 

Fertility in Women

·          Onset at 10 - 15 yrs and ends 40 - 50 yrs.

·          A woman's fertility is periodic:  A woman is fertile only 48 hours of each month.

·          Fertility is controlled by the hormones Estrogen and Progesterone.

Normal Pregnancy

·          Pregnancy is measured from Mom's Last Menstrual Period and continues for 40 weeks.

·          The first signs of pregnancy are recognized at 4-5 weeks.

·          The baby is fully developed at 11-12 weeks.

·          The baby is viable outside the womb at 24 weeks.

a)        Contraception as an abortifacient (1-2 weeks)

• Birth Control Pills
  Contain the hormones progesterone and estrogen, these low dose pills do not prevent ovulation. The egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube, then hormones cause the uterus lining to slogh off preventing implantation of the conceptus. Life begins but is prevented from continuing.

• IUD (Inter Uterine Device)
  An IUD is a spiral device of copper or silicon. Its presence causes an inflammatory response and prevents implantation of fertilized egg or conceptus.

• The morning after pill
  Consists of a high dose of progesterone, which precipitates exfoliation of the lining of the womb preventing implantation of the conceptus.

b)    Chemical Abortion (1-8 weeks)

Methotrexate (anti-cancer and rheumatic drug) and Prostaglandin (smooth muscle contraction) are used. These drugs are available by prescription only and three doctor visits are required. The abortion occurs at home. This is a recent innovation.

c)    Abortion Pill - Ru-486 (1-8 weeks)

Ru-486 is an abortion inducing drug. Prostaglandin, which causes contractions, is taken 5 days later. Three office visits are required. It has not been shown to be safe and may require a surgical procedure if it is incomplete.

d)    Suction Aspiration (1-6 weeks)

A hollow tube with a knife like top is put in the womb. Strong suction tears the baby into pieces. The pieces are sucked from the mother into a jar for disposal.

e)    D & C Abortion (8-13 weeks) - Dilatation and Curettage

A loop shaped steel knife cuts the baby away from the wall of the mother's womb and cuts it into pieces. The pieces are removed by suction into a jar for disposal. This is the most common of all abortion methods.

f)     D & E Abortion (16-20 weeks) - Dilatation and Evacuation

Specially designed tools are inserted into the uterus, which dismember the baby's body and crush its skull. The body parts are removed with forceps. There is strong evidence the baby experiences pain.

g)    Saline Injection (20-40 weeks)

This method is rarely used today, as the dead baby cannot be used for medical experimentation.  Salt or urea is used to poison the baby in utero. A strong salt solution is injected into the sac where the baby lives in the mother's womb. The baby inhales and swallows this poisonous solution. The baby has convulsions, internal hemorrhaging and its skin peels off. The baby dies after 2-24 hours, occasionally much longer. The mother delivers a dead (or dying) baby within 24-48 hours.

h)    D & X Abortion (20-40 weeks) - Dilatation and Extraction or Partial-Birth Abortion

The baby's body is delivered breech (feet, buttocks first). Before the baby's head is delivered, a long hollow tube is inserted in the base of the scull and the baby's brain is extracted, this kills the baby and delivery is completed. The brain tissue is used for medical experimentation in Parkinson's, Altzheimers and other diseases.

i)     Hysterectomy (premature Caesarian section) (20 + weeks)

The baby is born alive. However, no attempt is made to sustain its life. The cord is cut and the baby is set aside to die.

j)    Invitro Fertilization

In fertility problems, genetic studies and for research the egg (up to 10) is extracted from the woman's ovary and fertilized in a petri dish with male sperm. The excess fertilized eggs, not implanted in the mother, are destroyed or frozen for future use.

k)     Selective Reduction Abortion (20+ weeks)

This occurs where there are multiple pregnancies, due to the use of fertility drugs or invitro fertilization, or when one or more of the babies is disabled or diseased. With the use of ultrasound a needle is inserted in the baby's heart and a solution of K+ (potassium) is injected which kills the baby(ies). The dead baby (ies)' remains are delivered with the births of the other child (ren).

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Complications of Abortion for the Mother

1. Hemorrhage - most abortion clinics are not equipped to handle these emergencies. Death sometimes occurs on the way to the hospital.
    

2. Infection - as with any surgery, infection can always occur. Abortion clinics are not regulated as are all other medical facilities and standards are low.  There is no patient follow up.
    

3. Damaged cervix - the cervix (opening to the womb or uterus) has to be stretched artificially to access the baby. Often this damages the cervix and results in later miscarriages of "wanted" children or premature birth.
    

4. Perforation of the uterus ‑ the tools used in an abortion are very sharp and since the abortionist cannot see inside the womb, sometimes the uterus is cut.
    

5. Perforation of the bowel or urinary bladder ‑ as above except that the cut extends through the uterus wall into the bowel behind or bladder in front.
    

6. DEATH! due to some combination of above or an air or fat embolism.
    

Delayed Complications of Abortion for Mother

1. Stillborn & handicapped babies (rare)
    

2. Miscarriages
    

3. Impaired child‑bearing ability
    

4. Premature births
    

5. Low birth weight babies
    

6. Ectopic pregnancies
    

7. Depression, emotional problems (post abortion syndrome)
    

General Guidelines for Counseling Pregnant Minors forced to
have an abortion

• You the volunteer are frightened you will not be able to prevent Mom from aborting her child.

• You are concerned about your ability to  help Mom do the right thing,

• You want some assurance there is a way to stop Mom from aborting her child.

The out come depends on Mom alone.  All you can do is help Mom with her difficulties.

• Ask God to help you.  Let Him take care of you.  Forget about yourself. Focus on Mom and her needs.

• The only person you can help is Mom.  If you help her she may not abort.  If she aborts that is her choice.  Remember, she is often being coerced to abort by the father, her family and friends.

• Does Mom know how far along in her pregnancy she is?  It is very important for her to know. Make sure she has an appointment to see her doctor for medical care.

• Usually Mom is not thinking about the baby; her focus is on her difficulties which are often overwhelming.  You must discuss her difficulties with her, not the baby.

What can you do?

• LISTEN to Mom.  Only speak to encourage her to tell her story.  Ask open ended questions

• Tell me more

• You must have been very upset

• Then what happened?

• What do you think will happen?

• Who is there to help you etc.

• Hear all the background. Age, circumstances of pregnancy, her family, parents, brothers and sisters, the child’s father, her work, education, hopes for her future.  Make sure to let her know all the ways you can help her.

• Reach out in love to help her.  Your tone of voice and way of talking to her tell her much more about you than anything you can say.  She will judge whether you are loving and trustworthy by your attitude and way of behaving towards her.

What NOT to do

• Talk only about the baby.  

• Give a lecture on the evils of abortion. 

• Criticize her.   Argue with her.     

• Let her see or hear about your difficulties. This is about Mom not you.

A sin is a purposeful and deliberate offense against the will of God; an utterance, a deed or a willfully-entertained desire contrary to God’s law.  Objectively, abortion is a mortal sin, gravely contrary to the moral law.

A crime is a violation of a church law or precept that has been formally established by an ecclesiastical authority which has legislative power (cf.cc 1311 & 1315).  While it might be surprising to many people, actually very few sins have been established by the church as also being crimes.  But among those few sins that are crimes, abortion clearly is included (c. 1398)

Going hand-in-glove with crime is the reality of penalty, which is a sanction established by Church law that may be applied against a person who commits a crime to motivate that person to return to the Church’s way of life (cf.c. 1311).  According to the Code of Canon Law, both a person who procures a successful abortion, incur the automatic (latae sententiae) penalty of excommunication (cf.cc. 1398; 1329, S2; & 1314).  Actually, excommunication is a censure which should be seen as a medicinal penalty, meaning that it is intended to foster repentance and reconciliation (cf.c. 1312, S1, 1°).  Thus, excommunication may be applied only until the offender accepts God’s healing grace and repents, at which time the excommunication is to be lifted in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  In other words, the Church has established excommunication as a penalty in cases of abortion to give witness to the gravity of the offense not perceived by the secular society, rather than as a permanent stigma for the offender to bear.

A few terms deserve explanation.  Abortion is the killing of an embryo or fetus by whatever means, and at whatever time from the moment of conception to birth.  Procure means to acquire, obtain, induce, or cause directly and intentionally by means of physical or moral action.  Consequently, a person who actively participates in the abortive act procures the abortion.  Successful means the goal is attained, not simply desired, intended and/or attempted.  Hence, while the desire, intention and/or attempt of an abortion would be gravely sinful, they do not constitute the crime of abortion.

So, can we say that all persons who procure a successful abortion in this strict legal sense are automatically excommunicated?  No, because, just as civil law recognizes mitigating circumstances that remove or reduce responsibility, so does Church law.  Thus, the following persons are never subject to any penalty for procuring a successful abortion (cf.c. 1323):

• One who habitually lacks the use of reason.
• One who has not yet completed the sixteenth year of age.
• One who without any fault was unaware of violating a law or precept of the church (even though aware that abortion is a serious/mortal sin).
• One who acted under compulsion by physical force or in virtue of a mere accident which could neither be foreseen nor prevented when foreseen.
• One who acted out of grave fear, even if only relatively grave (grave fear is an internal response of a person to the credible threat of serious evil to be inflicted by another person).

Next, the following persons are not subject to an automatic penalty for procuring a successful abortion, although a penalty might be imposed as a result of a church process (cf.c. 1324):

• One with only the imperfect use of reason.
• One who lacked the use of reason due to drunkenness or another similar mental disturbance which was culpable.
• One acting in the serious heat of passion which did not precede and impede all deliberation of mind and consent of the will, as long as the passion itself had not been voluntarily stirred up or fostered.
• A minor who has completed the age of sixteen years but is not yet eighteen years of age.
• A person who was forced through grave fear, even if only relatively grave.
• One who without any fault was unaware that a penalty was attached to the law or precept.

Therefore, for a person to be automatically excommunicated that person must have procured a successful abortion or have been an accomplice to a successful abortion and:

• Possess perfect use of reason.
• Been at least 18 years of age.
• Been aware that church law includes the penalty of excommunication for the crime of abortion (this is different from simply knowing that abortion is a serious or mortal sin).
• Been able to exercise his or her free will and not operating out of grave fear, serious heat of passion, drunkenness or another similar mental disturbance.

The censure of excommunication can be removed by the Archdiocesan bishop and those priests who have the faculty to do so within the diocese, using the formula provided in Appendix 1 to the Rite of Penance (cf. c. 1354-1357).

Finally, let’s look at what it means to be excommunicated.  The penalty of excommunication forbids a member of the Church (cf.c. 1331):

• To have any ministerial participation in celebrating the Eucharistic Sacrifice or in any other ceremonies whatsoever of public worship.
• To celebrate the sacraments and to receive the sacraments.
• To discharge any ecclesiastical office, ministry or function whatsoever, or to place any act of governance.

Please note carefully, however, that an excommunicated person, although outside the sacramental life of the Church and unable to exercise authority of ministry within the Church, still remains a member of the Church, still is a Catholic.  Moreover, an excommunicated person is not prohibited from attending Mass or other public acts of worship, nor from taking part in private acts of prayer or devotion.  In fact, these should be encouraged so as to help the excommunicated person to become contrite and to reform his or her life.

If you have any further questions about abortion and canon law, you may want to contact a canonist in your diocese.

Post-Abortion Ministry – A Resource Manual for Priests, by the Secretariat for Priestly Life and Ministry and the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, USCCB

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Rape, Emergency Contraception and the Church

(1)  suppressing ovulation

(2)  altering cervical mucus to hinder the transport of sperm

(3)   slowing the transport of the ovum

(4)   inhibiting implantation of the newly conceived human embryo

Which of these mechanisms is operative depends on when the pills are taken. If taken before ovulation, EC may delay or inhibit ovulation, thereby preventing conception. If taken after the LH surge which triggers ovulation, EC will not disrupt ovulation in that cycle, but can inhibit implantation of the developing embryo, which is an abortion.

Treatment of Victims of Sexual Assault

Victims of sexual assault should be treated with compassion and understanding. Health care providers who treat sexual assault victims should provide medically accurate information and offer spiritual and psychological support.

A woman who has been raped should be able to defend herself from a potential conception and receive treatments to suppress ovulation and incapacitate sperm. If conception has occurred, however, a Catholic hospital will not dispense drugs to interfere with implantation of a newly conceived human.

Hospitals should develop appropriate protocols to determine whether administering emergency contraception would have an abortifacient effect. Blood tests to determine progesterone levels and urine tests to determine whether ovulation has occurred should be done

Laws Mandating the Administration of "Emergency Contraception" To Rape Victims

The proposed federal "Compassionate Care for Female Sexual Assault Survivors Act" (H.R. 4113) and similar legislation in the states would force

·      All hospitals, even hospitals with pro-life policies, to administer abortifacient drugs to rape victims.

·      Require hospitals to provide the pills to teenagers who engage in consensual intercourse in violation of state laws on statutory rape.

·      Requires health care providers to misinform women about how emergency contraception works, violating norms for informed consent. Specifically, the bill mandates that hospitals tell the women that "emergency contraception" is not abortifacient.

Conclusion

The law should not require hospitals to administer so-called "emergency contraception" when those drugs will end the life of a newly conceived human embryo. Hospitals can offer rape victims treatments that are truly contraceptive and address their other needs with compassion and respect.

Reconciliation & Healing in our work for Life

On God’s Mercy:   Encyclical on God the Father and First Social Encyclical from Our Holy Father John Paul II

• Revelation of the Father’s mercy in Christ.

• Jesus preaches the Gospel of mercy.

• God’s mercy already at work in the history of the people of Israel.

• The true nature of mercy and the dignity conferred on human beings by God’s merciful love.

• Jesus’ death and resurrection is the fullest revelation of divine mercy, a mercy stronger than sin and death. 

• Contemporary  plight of humanity and its need for a mercy which goes beyond justice.

• The Church’s program of mercy: Her duty to proclaim and practice it.

• Everyone to implore God’s mercy on humanity.

Interpersonal Communication