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Future Planning
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio’s third pastoral letter to the diocese, “‘Do Not Be Afraid,’ A Pastoral Vision for the New Evangelization,” is a welcome addition to the life of the Church in Brooklyn and Queens.
It is a continuation of the theme he introduced in his first pastoral letter three years ago on The New Evangelization. This is a further development on that theme as he builds on years of consultation and planning about the future of the Church in our diocese.
The letter not only offers a spiritual and philosophical background to the practical happening but it also offers concrete actions to guide future plans.
We offer it this week in a special pullout section because it is meant to be saved and studied. It contains the answers to many questions parishioners have about the direction in which the Church is moving.
We recommend parish study groups get together, read the document and then gather again to discuss the contents. We hope that every pastoral planning council in the diocese will read and re-read it so that it will bear the greatest fruit it can in the coming discussions.
Pastoral planning is a difficult process which can be made easier if everyone is on the same page as far as understanding is concerned.
The Tablet has printed extra copies in case they are needed. Anyone interested in obtaining more copies should contact The Tablet by calling 718-965-7333, ext. 2002.
Film Alert!
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights has taken the extraordinary step of publishing an entire booklet on an upcoming film. The work is a warning about “The Golden Compass,” based on the book by Philip Pullman. The movie is the first part of “His Dark Materials,” a fantasy trilogy for children. It stars Nicole Kidman and it is being promoted as a child-friendly film.
Pullman, an avowed atheist, targets religion and in particular the Catholic Church in his work. For instance, the evil institutional force in the book is called the “Magisterium.” All of the author’s books pump up the virtues of atheism and tear down any respect for the Catholic Church. You might say that this is the negative response to the wildly successful “Chronicles of Narnia” by Catholic writer C.S. Lewis, which recently was turned into such a hit.
Since we have not seen the film yet, we rely on the judgment of The Catholic League in urging caution about taking the children to see this movie during the upcoming Christmas season. Certainly, do not be tricked into purchasing the trilogy in book form as a Christmas gift.
We inform about this upcoming distraction to the Christmas holy days as a way of calling your attention to a potentially troublesome message in the media. Be wise. Instead, look for the Narnia series in your book and video stores. It is much more in keeping with the joyous message of Jesus’ entry into the world.
A Dream Diverted
The Senate fell eight votes short of the 60 needed to bring the DREAM Act to the floor, closing down an attempt to pass even a small piece of immigration legislation that has enjoyed bipartisan support.
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, would have given young adults who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents at least five years ago the chance to legalize their own status while serving in the military or attending college at in-state tuition rates.
The failure of the 52-44 cloture vote, a preliminary step to bringing the bill to the floor for debate, was extremely disappointing and another sign of the rampant fear about immigrants among the general populace.
Estimates of the number of students who could have benefited from the bill range from fewer than 100,000 to fewer than 500,000.
However, we note with some optimism that a majority of senators were willing to support the DREAM Act, even if there weren’t enough votes under Senate procedures.
Students, documented or undocumented, who are serving in the military or attending college have already proven that they have the best interests of our nation on their minds. For the government to demonize them and set them up as potential targets of INS agents is shortsighted and dishonest. It also should grate on the conscience of all Americans.
Naturally, Americans are fearful of another terrorist attack on America. But once again we point out that the 2001 sneak attack was carried out by foreign-born people, all of whom were legally here in the United States. It is not the undocumented people whom we have to fear.
Immigration reform should be at the top of our priorities so that people seeking to come to America to better themselves will be given a real shot at making it here. No one is asking for a lessening of national security. We do seek, however, a country where the American Dream is still alive just as it was for the past generations who flocked to these shores in search of a better way.
When examining the issues in the coming elections, make sure you separate truth from fiction. Do not allow tired old assumptions to drag the debate into the realm of fiction.
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