July/August 2010
Catholic Charities USA Presents Centennial Medal to CMSM
June 14, 2010
Rev. Paul Lininger
Conference of Major Superiors of Men
Dear Paul:
Catholic Charities USA is marking the 100th anniversary of its founding with initiatives to celebrate our members' work to bring dignity and respect to all people and to advocate the broader community to live a life of justice and social concern.
As a part of this celebration of our work, Catholic Charities USA will present a Centennial Medal to individuals and organizations recognizing their contributions to the reduction of poverty in the United States and their commitment to the principles by which Catholic Charities USA conducts its work.
It is my honor to inform you that the Conference of Major Superiors of Men has been selected to receive a Catholic Charities USA Centennial Medal.
...
Congratulations again and thank you for your work on behalf of the poor and vulnerable.
With warm wishes,
Rev. Larry Snyder
President
Women Religious honored with the Eileen Egan Peacemaker Award
Pax Christi USA will present the award to the Leadership Conference of Women Religious at the National Catholic Conference on Peacemaking in Chicago, July 18
Washington, D.C.At this years National Catholic Conference on Peacemaking, Pax Christi USA (www.paxchristiusa.org) will recognize the significant contributions of women religious by honoring the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) with the Eileen Egan Peacemaker Award. The award, first instituted in 2007, will be presented in Chicago at the closing plenary session of the national conference, Sunday, July 18.
Everyone in Pax Christi USA knows and recognizes that women religious are the backbone of the Catholic peace and justice movement, stated Dave Robinson, Executive Director of Pax Christi USA. These strong, prophetic and compassionate women are always on the frontlines where the weak and most vulnerable suffer at the hands of violent and unjust power. For everything these women do, from their visionary leadership to their personal integrity, we felt this moment to be the opportune time to honor them.
The Eileen Egan Peacemaker Award is bestowed periodically to honor a group or individual who has made a strong and extraordinary prophetic witness for peace in a time or situation of devastating violence or injustice. The award is named for Eileen Egan, one of the co-founders of Pax Christi USA, a long-time executive with Catholic Relief Services and friend to both Dorothy Day and Mother Teresa. The recipient of the Eileen Egan Peacemaker Award exhibits the same spirit as Eileen: steady courage to speak the truth of nonviolence in a world addicted to war-making, deep compassion for the victims of violence and poverty, and unshakeable perseverance to change the world for the better.
Women religious have been our teachers, our guides, our mentors, and our conscience. They have called us to be a people committed to living lives fashioned by the heart of the gospel which Jesus proclaimed, stated Bishop Gabino Zavala, Bishop-President of Pax Christi USA. For the dedication to peace and justice which they have shown in our Church and to the world, Pax Christi USA recognizes and honors them with this award.
Sr. Marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA, President of LCWR, will accept the award on Sunday morning at the National Catholic Conference on Peacemaking. Pax Christi USA plans to honor women religious throughout the weekend conference. Past recipients of the award were Camilo Mejia, the first U.S. soldier to publicly refuse to fight in the Iraq War; and Rev. Vien The Nguyen, pastor of Mary Queen of Viet Nam Church in New Orleans, for his and his communitys perseverance during and after Hurricane Katrina.
Education for Justice staff to receive 2011 Harry A. Fagan Roundtable Award
Fr. Jim Hug, SJ, Ms. Jane Deren, and Sr. Katherine Feely, SND, honored for their contributions
WASHINGTON D.C. The Roundtable Association of Catholic Diocesan Social Action Directors recently announced three staff members at the Center of Concern as the 2011 Harry A. Fagan Roundtable Award recipients. Fr. Jim Hug, Jane Deren, and Sr. Katherine Feely will be receiving the award for their exemplary contributions to the achievement of the Catholic social justice vision through the Education for Justice Web Project. The Roundtable Association of Catholic Diocesan Social Action Directors presents the award each year to a person or persons whose work, in the tradition of Catholic social teaching, has led to significant progress towards greater social justice and dignity for all members of society at the national or international level.
The Education for Justice Web Project was created to help social action directors, catechists, lay ecclesial ministers, campus ministers, parish members and others in leadership roles to meet the challenge of sharing Catholic social teaching and to bring greater awareness to social justice issues. The site contains a multitude of timely and engaging resources designed to promote greater knowledge of Catholic social teaching and highlight the connection between current world events and the Catholic faith. It was launched in 2001 by Fr. Jim Hug, President of the Center of Concern, and Jane Deren, who now serves as Senior Advisor to the project. It was launched with a desire to quickly respond to the public events of the time with resources such as prayer services, analytic pieces, and background papers steeped in Catholic social teaching. Sr. Katherine Feely currently directs the Education for Justice Project.
The Roundtable Award is named for the late Harry A. Fagan, who served as the director of Catholic Community Action in the diocese of Cleveland and later worked for the National Pastoral Life Center as staff for the Roundtable Association. Fagan also chaired the Social Concerns Department of the Ohio Catholic Conference and served on the board of the Catholic Committee on Urban Ministry. The award has been given annually since 1987.
Fr. Jim Hug, Jane Deren, and Sr. Katherine Feely will receive the Harry A. Fagan Award during the Roundtables Annual Symposium on February 12, 2011, at the beginning of the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington D.C.
Seeing the World Anew: A Framework for a Renewed Economy
Maria Riley, OP
[Maria Riley, OP, an Adrian Dominican sister, is Senior Adviser to the Global Womens Project at the Center of Concern.]
People around the globe have been shaken by the fallout of the multiple crises financial, economic, food, climate and care--that have engulfed our world over the past two years. This current context is opening the way for new directions, and an integrated approach to economic, environmental and social analysis and potential new policies to address the perennial problems of development, ecological degradation and social and gender inequality. These problems are integrally connected and their analyses and policy recommendations must also be.
Most current analyses and corresponding policy initiatives tend to focus on one dimension of the crises, the financial. For many there is an implicit assumption that with the stabilization of financial markets and the adoption of new regulatory regimes domestic and global economies can return to business as usual. While this approach may ameliorate somewhat the immediate fallout of some of the crises, its solutions fall far short of creating conditions necessary for economic recovery, the return to high employment, environmental sustainability and social well-being. To achieve these goals, a more serious reshaping of economic thinking and policy, both domestically and globally is required. Our current economic activities are unsustainable and undermine human and ecological well-being....
[You can download the entire report in PDF format from the Center of Concern web site.]
Latin America Working Group Report: Far Worse than Watergate
A new report, Far Worse than Watergate, reveals the inside story about a wiretapping scandal in Colombia. The report by the Latin America Working Group Education Fund, US Office on Colombia, Center for International Policy and Washington Office on Latin America documents how the Colombian governments intelligence agency not only spied upon major players in Colombias democracy--from Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judges to presidential candidates, from journalists and publishers to human rights defenders, unions and faith-based organizations, from international organizations to U.S. and European human rights groups--but also carried out dirty tricks, and even death threats, to undermine their legitimate, democratic activities.
As a new Colombian president takes office in August, the Colombian government has a historic opportunity to demonstrate that the nation can provide security to its citizens without violating the most basic freedoms and human rights of its citizens. A version in Spanish is also available.
Tucson Bishop Kicanas Testifies Before Congress, Urges Federal Action on Immigration Reform
WASHINGTONBishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, Vice-president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, testified before Congress on the ethical imperative for reform of the U.S. immigration system. He spoke July 14, before the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
Bishop Kicanas, whose diocese runs along the whole of the Arizona-Mexico border, said he witnesses every day the human consequences of our broken immigration system, adding that [t]his is a situation which from a humanitarian and ethical stand point, needs to be addressed in a humane and comprehensive manner.
Though often dismissed by analyses that highlight the economic, social or legal aspects, immigration is ultimately a humanitarian issue, since it impacts the basic rights and dignity of millions of persons and their families. As such it has moral implications, he said. We cannot accept the toil and taxes of immigrants without providing them the protection of law.
Bishop Kicanas recognized the rule of law as a flashpoint in the debate.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wholeheartedly agrees that the rule of law is paramount, and that those who break the law should be held accountable, he said. As our testimony points out, comprehensive immigration reform would honor the rule of law and help restore it by requiring 11 million undocumented to pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English, and get in the back of the line. We believe this a proportionate penalty for the offense.
He also said the bishops believe immigration reform will make the nation more secure, freeing up time and resources to concentrate on those coming who intend to do us harm. He praised both the enforcement and life-saving efforts of border patrol agents, but pointed out that decades of enforcement-only policies have not solved the border or the larger immigration problem.
Bishop Kicanas also addressed the issue of the passage of controversial Arizona SB 1070.
It is my belief that the passage of this law reflects the frustration of Arizonans and the American public with Congress for not addressing the issue of immigration reform. The message is to break the partisan paralysis and act now, he said.
The bishops oral testimony was accompanied by a more in-depth written testimony in which Bishop Kicanas summarized the U.S. bishops' longstanding recommendations on immigration reform:
- Enact comprehensive immigration reform legislation that provides a legalization program (path to permanent residency) for undocumented workers in our nation; reforms the employment-based immigration system so that low-skilled workers can enter and work in a safe, legal, orderly, and humane manner; and reduces waiting times in the family preference system for families to be reunited.
- Examine the push factors of migration such as international economic policies and enact policies which encourage sustainable economic development, especially in sending communities;
- Enact in reform legislation the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2009 and the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM);
- Adopt immigration enforcement policies that ensures our nations borders are secure at the same time that the abuse and deaths of migrants are prevented and their basic human rights and dignity are protected;
- Include the necessary elements in any legislation to efficiently implement any new immigration program, including taking actions to prepare the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service to implement any new program and to properly fund such implementation.
The testimony also listed the many perceived benefits of an earned legalization program and reform aspects that the Church finds problematic.
[Full text of Bishop Kicanas' testimony can be found at www.justiceforimmigrants.org/documents/kicanastest.pdf.]
Vatican: Climate Change a Grave Danger to Biodiversity
The Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers announced that the message for World Tourism Day 2010 (September 27) reflects on "Tourism and Biodiversity," in keeping with the theme proposed by the World Tourism Organization Council, and in conjunction with the United Nations' declaration of 2010 as the "International Year for Biological Diversity." The Vatican's World Tourism Day message, released on June 29, stated:
Biodiversity, or biological diversity, refers to the great wealth of beings that live on Earth, as well as the delicate equilibrium of interdependence and interaction that exists between them and the physical environment that hosts and conditions them.
There are three imminent and grave dangers to them that require an urgent solution: climate change, desertification and the loss of biodiversity. The latter has been developing in recent years at an unprecedented rate. Recent studies indicate that on a worldwide level 22% of mammals, 31% of amphibians, 13.6% of bird life and 27% of reefs are threatened or in danger of extinction.
The message calls for a responsible tourism, whose "development inevitably needs to be accompanied by the principles of sustainability and respect for biological diversity."
Climate Change Hasn't Gone Away
Fr. Seán McDonagh, SSC
If I got one euro for every time friends and even strangers joked, in a slightly dismissive way, about climate change during the cold weather from December till May, Id be well able to afford a holiday in the sun next winter! If the conversation continued my interlocutors would invariably throw in the controversy over the emails at the climate centre at the University of East Anglia and the claim that Himalayan glaciers would disappear in 35 years as a further nail in the coffin of climate change science.
In the context of this sea of scepticism, often promoted by fossil fuel corporations such as Exxon, I am delighted to see Pope Benedict XVI is still calling attention to the suffering which climate change is bringing to countless communities across the globe. In an address which he delivered on the occasion of receiving in audience Mongolias new ambassador to the Holy See, Luvsantseren Orgil, the Holy Father said, as you have rightly observed, environmental issues, particularly those related to climate change, are global issues and need to be addressed on a global level. 1
Despite the recent cold spell in the Northern hemisphere which affected Europe, Northern Asia and North America, the Earths average temperature is continuing to rise. Scientists from NASA and other weather and climate research stations across the globe have been collecting data on climate since the 1880s, when systematic record taking began. This data clearly shows that the last decade has been the hottest on record.2
Records also show that during the past century the average global temperature has increased by more than 0.6 degree Celsius. In some places, such as in the Arctic, the increase in temperature has been much more pronounced.
Short-term fluctuation such as has been experienced in the Northern hemisphere does not invalidate the claim that since the 1960s there has been a significant increase in global temperature. Yet, sceptics, often cherry-picking the data have often claimed the opposite. For example, in the later part of 2007 and the early part of 2008, the temperature across the globe and particularly the tropical Pacific Ocean was much cooler than normal. This was as a result of a strong La Nina effect. Even so, both years are still included in the ten warmest years on record. In response to claims from sceptics, the Associated Press invited a team of independent statisticians to review global data without revealing to them what the data represented. All those who took part agreed that the data indicated an unmistakable upward trend over time. 3
The majority of climate scientists are of the view that the increase in global temperature is being caused by human activity. There are two factors involved which, unfortunately work together to drive global warming. The first is the increased burning of fossil fuel -- coal, oil or natural gas -- which releases increased levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. CO2 and other gases, such as methane, are heat-trapping gases which act like a blanket, warming up the atmosphere, earth and oceans.
The second is the widespread deforestation that removes trees and other vegetation which can sequester carbon from the atmosphere and act as a carbon sink. As a consequence, the part of the atmosphere where excess carbon dioxide accumulates has expanded and warmed dramatically in recent decades during the period when emissions from human activity have also increased.
Once again the majority of scientists link the increase in surface temperature to extreme weather patterns. These include severe floods to which Pope Benedict was referring in Mongolia last year, followed by prolonged droughts.
Many scientists would now claim that the droughts which are being experienced in parts of Asia, Australia, East Africa, the west and south west part of the United States and the Mediterranean regions of Europe are no longer examples of a drought pattern but are an indication that climate change is happening. In its 2007 Assessment Report the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) cites data on glaciers melting in Greenland, Antarctic, the Himalayas and the Andes.4 Having visited the glaciers in the Andes above the city of Lima in Peru, I witnessed where glaciers have retreated dramatically in recent years. The water for the city of Lima, which is located in a desert, comes from these melting glaciers. The disappearance or severe depletion of the glaciers will cause enormous pain and suffering to tens of millions of people in Latin America and Asia.
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1Zenit.org, Popes Words to Mongolias Envoy, Vatican City, May 20, 2010.
2NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/ assessed on January 12th 2010.
3Associated Press. www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/26/tec/main5423035.shtml
4IPCC (2007) Climate Change 2007.
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