The Compass

In the midst of anger, we seek Christ

On May 20, we celebrate the Ascension. In the first reading from Acts of the Apostles, we will hear the Lord tell his disciples, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses …. to the ends of the earth."

The church has indeed spread over the earth. But it has met opposition on the way and sometimes that opposition means exploitation of our own weaknesses.

Ask Holy Spirit for guidance

In the days following the April 18 Vatican announcement outlining a major reform of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), a wide range of opinions has been published in print and posted online. Some have been critical of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which issued the eight-page doctrinal assessment that was based on an investigation led by Bishop Leonard P. Blair of Toledo, Ohio, in 2008. Others have praised the decision, saying the leadership conference was straying too far from church precepts.

Unfortunately, the ones caught in the middle of this sometimes venomous public display are the religious women who have given their lives to the church.

Ideally, the Vatican investigation, its findings and follow-up should have been handled privately, between the LCWR and Vatican officials. Some may say such an investigation should never have been launched, and instead believe an open dialogue could have resolved concerns. That did not happen and now it is time for us to call on the Holy Spirit to guide the investigation and grant wisdom and compassion to all those involved.

The LCWR represents about 80 percent of the country's 57,000 women religious. That means the sister who helped prepare our children for the sacraments or who comforted a family member in the hospital probably is a member of the LCWR.

In addition to prayer in support of women religious, we can honor them by attending the Diocesan Religious Jubilee Celebration on May 20, 3 p.m., at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral. Women celebrating major anniversaries of religious life will be attendance at the Mass, at which Bishop David Ricken will preside.

If you've been influenced in some way by the presence of a Catholic sister in your life, why not take this opportunity to say thanks and honor this year's jubilarians on May 20?

Clergy changes

The buzz on Facebook and around the water cooler this week (well, maybe if you're employed by a parish or the diocese) was about impending transfers of priests serving in parishes.

Many Catholics learned about some of the upcoming changes during Masses last weekend. At St. Bernard in Green Bay, Fr. Dave Pleier revealed to a stunned congregation his upcoming move to Manitowoc and that his successor for sure would be two things: younger and have more hair. (See the entire list of priest and parish director changes at this link.)

Losing a beloved pastor is heartbreaking for many Catholics. Yet it's part of the routine. Bishop David Ricken addressed this issue in his Compass column a few years ago:

"While these moves are not easy, especially where a pastor is deeply loved and appreciated, we all have to take the larger view so that the needs of other parts of the diocese can also be addressed and met," he wrote. "Since the Second Vatican Council, the church has decided that parishes are not to be the benefices of a pastor. In other words he does not have the privilege of a parish for a lifetime, and the Code of Canon Law determines that there are to be terms of assignment for priest assignments."

As the saying goes, the only constant is change. So it goes with our parish leadership.

There is a preferential option for poor

Catholic social teaching has been in the news recently as politicians have used it to justify budget cuts in federal programs serving the poor. Most recently, Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., a Catholic, spoke about the Catholic social teaching principle of subsidiarity and how it has influenced his views. Ryan, who chairs the House Budget Committee, is the author of a proposed 2013 budget titled "The Path to Prosperity."

Ryan told Catholic News Service in March that "Path to Prosperity" was influenced by his Catholic faith and is rooted in the principle of subsidiarity, which suggests that decisions should be made at the local level.

U.S. church charter now in 10th year

It has been 10 years since the U.S. bishops approved their "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People." In that decade, U.S. dioceses have made great strides in training their legions of employees and volunteers the proper ways of protecting children and vulnerable adults from physical and sexual abuse.

The 2011 annual report on implementation of the charter was released April 10 by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. It found that nearly all U.S. dioceses are in full compliance with the charter's 17-point document. On-site audits were conducted in each diocese, including the Diocese of Green Bay. Auditors visited the diocese last April, according to Ann Fox, head of the diocese's safe environment program.