Angelus News | December 20, 2019 | Vol. 4 No. 43

ANGELUS 

THE 

CASE 

for the 

CRÈCHE 

December 20, 2019 Vol. 4 No. 43

A Very A Very Special Special 2020 2020 Pilgrimage Pilgrimage to the to to Holy the Holy Land 

Land 

October October 26 – 26 November – November 5 

5 

Walk Walk in the in in Footsteps the Footsteps of Jesus of of Jesus with 

with 

Archbishop Archbishop José José H. Gomez H. Gomez & Spiritual & Spiritual Leaders 

Leaders 

Bishop David 

Bishop O’Connell, 

David O’Connell, 

Msgr. Antonio 

Msgr. Antonio 

Cacciapuoti, 

Cacciapuoti, 

Rev. Jim Rev. 

Anguiano 

Jim Jim Anguiano 

and Rev. and 

Parker Rev. Sandoval 

Parker Sandoval 

Under the 

Under 

Direction 

the the Direction 

of Judy 

of 

Brooks, 

of Judy Brooks, 

Archbishop’s Archbishop’s 

Office of 

Office 

Special 

of of Services 

Special Services 

Please Please join us join for us us an for important 

important 

Pilgrimage Pilgrimage Information Information Meeting 

Meeting 

Sunday, Sunday, January January 26, 2020 26, 2020 at 2:00 at at p.m. 2:00 p.m. 

The Cathedral The Cathedral Conference Conference Center 

Center 

555 West 555 West Temple Temple Street, Street, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90012 

CA 90012 

All are All Welcome! 

are Welcome! 

For Information For Information Call Mary Call Mary Kay: (213) Kay: (213) 637-7520 

637-7520 

Travel Travel Arrangements Arrangements through through Catholic Catholic Travel Travel Centre 

Centre 

Garden Garden 

of Gethsemane 

of of Gethsemane 

Church Church 

of the Holy 

of of the the 

Sepulchree 

Holy Sepulchree 

Church Church 

of the Beatitudes 

of of the the Beatitudes

ON THE COVER 

Pope Francis visits the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square after leading 

vespers on New Year’s Eve at the Vatican in 2016. This Advent, the pope 

took the unusual step of writing to Catholics about the importance of setting 

up and displaying a crèche or Nativity scene, not only at home but also in 

“the workplace, schools, hospitals, prisons, and town squares.” On Page 10, 

Mike Aquilina explains how its medieval, Franciscan roots illustrate why the 

crèche is much more than just a traditional Christmas decoration. 

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE/PAUL HARING 

IMAGE: 

Archbishop José H. Gomez delivers Christmas presents to one of 

the families he surprised Dec. 14 as part of the Adopt-a-Family 

outreach program. Archbishop Gomez and his fellow volunteers 

delivered gifts to nearly 500 low-income families in the downtown 

Los Angeles and Skid Row areas this year. More than 24 Catholic 

school communities were involved in the donation of this year’s 

gift items. 

VICTOR ALEMÁN 

ane 

Contents 

des 

Archbishop Gomez 3 

World, Nation and Local News 4-6 

LA Catholic Events 7 

Scott Hahn on Scripture 8 

Father Rolheiser 9 

The pope’s classroom project comes to LA 14 

John Allen: Reading into the red pope’s real mission 16 

Kathyrn Lopez: A society in need for Mr. Rogers nostalgia 18 

In praise of the underrated ‘charism of availability’ 22 

Greg Erlandson: When old lies get retold 24 

Is Kanye West on the road to redemption? 26 

Heather King sees Christ being born in LA 28 

December 20, 2019 • ANGELUS • 1

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December 20, 2019 | Vol. 4 • No. 43 

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POPE WATCH 

Courageous discernment 

On the day of his 50th anniversary 

of ordination to the priesthood, Pope 

Francis chose to personally present a 

multivolume collection of writings by 

his longtime spiritual director. 

In addition to presenting the Spanish-language 

collection, “Escritos” 

(“Writings”), by the late Father 

Miguel Angel Fiorito, SJ, at a conference 

at the Jesuit headquarters in 

Rome Dec. 13, Pope Francis wrote an 

introduction to it, saying the publication 

is “a consolation for those of us 

who, for many years, were nourished 

by his teachings. These writings will 

be a great good for the whole church.” 

At the evening book presentation, 

Pope Francis said he had suggested 

having one of Father Fiorito’s “disciples” 

as the main speaker. The 

editor of La Civilta Cattolica, which 

published the books, asked the pope 

who he had in mind. “ ‘Me,’ I said. 

And here we are.” 

Presenting the book at the Jesuit 

headquarters, he said, “is a way for 

me to express my gratitude for all that 

the Society of Jesus has given me and 

has done for me,” and it is a way to 

encourage all the men and women 

around the world who offer spiritual 

direction to others following the 

teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola. 

The collection, the pope wrote in 

the introduction, is a “distillation” of 

“spiritual mercy: teaching for those 

who do not know, good counsel for 

those who need it, correction for those 

who err, consolation for those who 

are sad, and help in being patient for 

those in desolation.” 

Spiritual mercy, he continued, 

is summed up in teaching people 

discernment in the tradition of St. 

Ignatius, a process of “curing spiritual 

blindness, a sad illness that prevents 

us from recognizing God’s time, the 

time of his coming.” 

While Father Fioriti gave hundreds 

of conferences and talks, he wrote 

only two books. Pope Francis said that 

“around 1985” he was asked to write 

the prologue to Father Fiorito’s book 

on discernment and spiritual warfare. 

He described discernment as “having 

the courage to see divine footprints in 

our human tracks.” 

Father Fiorito, who became his 

spiritual director in 1961, the pope 

wrote, “had a special nose for sniffing 

out the evil spirit; he could identify 

his action, recognize his tics, unmask 

him because of his bad fruits and the 

bad aftertaste and trail of desolation 

he left in his passing.” 

“In that sense,” the pope continued, 

“you could say he was a man who battled 

against only one enemy: the evil 

spirit, Satan, the demon, the tempter, 

the accuser, the enemy of our human 

nature. Between the banner of Christ 

and that of Satan, he chose the Lord.” 

Father Fiorito “was fundamentally 

a man of dialogue and listening,” the 

pope said. “He taught many to pray — 

to dialogue in friendship with God — 

and to discern ‘the signs of the times,’ 

dialoguing with other people and with 

the reality of every culture. His school 

of spirituality is a school of dialogue 

and listening, open to listening to and 

dialoguing with anyone ‘with a good 

spirit,’ testing everything and retaining 

only that which is good.” 

Reporting courtesy of Cindy Wooden, 

Catholic News Service Rome bureau 

chief. 

Papal Prayer Intention for December: That every country take the measures 

necessary to prioritize the future of the very young, especially those who are 

suffering. 

2 • ANGELUS • December 20, 2019

NEW WORLD 

OF FAITH 

BY ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ H. GOMEZ 

The materialism of Christmas 

Pope Francis gave us an early Christmas 

gift with “Admirabile Signum” 

(“Enchanting Image”), his little letter 

on the ancient custom of setting up 

Nativity scenes as a way to prepare for 

the birth of Jesus. 

Christians began worshipping at the 

site of our Lord’s birth in Bethlehem 

almost immediately. So many were 

coming, Emperor Hadrian tried to 

suppress the devotion by building a 

temple to the god Apollo on top of the 

site in the year 136. 

Today’s Basilica of the Nativity sits 

on that same site. This Christmas, 

thousands will once more make pilgrimages 

there to kiss the ground where 

Jesus is said to have first been laid. 

Saints from Origen and Jerome to 

Charles de Foucauld and John Paul 

II have made this pilgrimage. Mystics 

like Bl. Margaret Ebner and St. Bridget 

of Sweden have told their visions 

of the night that Christ was born. 

Pope Francis, in his letter, evokes the 

witness of St. Francis of Assisi, who 

popularized the custom of reimagining 

and reenacting the night of 

Jesus’ birth. 

Christianity is not a fairy tale or 

myth. Our faith is rooted in history 

and biography, geography and 

genealogy. The story of Jesus does not 

begin, “Once upon a time.” Instead, 

we say that at a specific moment in 

history, in a specific place, the living 

God came to live with us. 

There is a beautiful materialism at 

the heart of Christmas. 

I don’t mean the crude commercialism 

and consumerism that we see 

in shops and advertising at this time 

of year. But actually, our culture’s 

commercialization of Christmas is 

simply a distortion of the wonder-filled 

materialism of the Nativity. 

Christmas shows us how serious 

“matter” is for God. 

What we celebrate is the God who 

created this material world out of nothing, 

entering his creation to inhabit 

it, coming down from heaven to live 

alongside his creatures on earth. 

Our lives start in the womb of our 

mothers, so that is where God starts in 

becoming human. 

The image of the invisible God, the 

firstborn of all creation, comes in human 

likeness as the firstborn of Mary. 

We have heard these words so often 

that we can take them for granted, 

but for our Christian ancestors, this 

was an amazing truth: “And the Word 

became flesh and made his dwelling 

among us.” 

This sense of amazement is the 

source of popular piety and customs 

around the Infant Jesus that we find in 

almost every culture: the Santo Niño 

de Atocha tradition from Spain, the 

Santo Niño de Cebu in the Philippines, 

and many other traditions. 

In this Child, we see our own 

childhood. But there is more than a 

material resemblance here. 

Every Nativity scene is a “living 

Gospel,” as Pope Francis says. In the 

Child in the manger, we see manifested 

what Jesus came to teach: that we 

must turn and become like children 

to enter the kingdom of heaven. 

We can see the invisible in what God 

has made visible, St. Paul said. 

Christmas tells us that the things of 

this world are “sacraments,” signs that 

point us to our Creator. If we have the 

right attitude toward material things, 

they can be instruments that open our 

hearts and lead us into his presence. 

Since that first Christmas, we cannot 

fail to see the Creator’s image and 

likeness in every person we meet. 

The spirit-filled materialism of 

Christmas is matched by its transcendent 

humanism. As all creation 

must be cherished as the Creator’s 

gift, so every man and woman must 

be welcomed and loved, beginning 

where Jesus began, with the child in 

the mother’s womb. 

Pope Francis urges us to reclaim the 

tradition of setting up Nativity scenes in 

homes and public places. I agree. We 

can never have too many reminders 

that our God has come to be with us. 

My prayer is that we will also rediscover 

the profound biblical spirit 

that lies behind all of our “material” 

Christmas traditions. 

We decorate trees because Scripture 

tells us that when the Lord comes, 

every tree will sing for joy. We carol 

and sing hymns because when the 

Lord comes all the earth will sing a 

new song and angels in heaven will 

praise him. 

Christmas lights remind us that he 

is the morning star, the great light 

given to those walking in darkness, to 

lead us on the journey of life. Even 

the tradition of holiday baking can be 

traced to our Lord’s invitation to taste 

and see that his promises are sweeter 

than any honey. 

We give gifts to our loved ones at 

Christmas because in his tender love 

God has given us the precious gift of 

himself. 

Pray for me this week, and I will pray 

for you. And I wish you and your family 

a blessed and holy Christmas. 

May the Blessed Virgin Mary be a 

mother to all of us, and help us to love 

the God who came to be her Child 

and become one with us. 

To read more columns by Archbishop José H. Gomez or to subscribe, visit www.angelusnews.com. 


WORLD 

An open-inbox policy 

Nuncio.mexico@diplomat.va. 

That is the email of Archbishop Franco Coppola, 

apostolic nuncio in Mexico, who is making a point of 

publishing his personal email for anyone who wants to 

report sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in the country. 

“Trust is going to be gradually regained to the extent 

that the faithful find the merciful face of the Father 

reflected in their pastors,” Archbishop Coppola told ACI 

Prensa. He assured that the doors of his office are open 

to victims “in their search for justice” and that he will try 

to help. 

For the past year, Mexico’s bishops have been pushing 

toward greater transparency and protection against 

clerical sexual abuse. On Jan. 7, the bishops’ conference 

installed a National Team for the Protection of Minors, 

and on Feb. 10 the president of the bishops’ conference 

reported that 152 priests have been removed from ministry 

and some sent to prison for clerical sexual abuse. 

Archbishop Franco Coppola 

GUADALUPE BASILICA, MEXICO CITY 

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE/DAVID AGREN 

Don’t blame celibacy, says Vatican official 

A senior Vatican official is pushing 

back against the belief that priestly 

celibacy leads to sexual repression and 

ultimately sexual abuse. 

Father Jordi Bertomeu Farnós, who 

handles sex abuse cases for the Congregation 

for the Doctrine of the Faith 

(CDF), published an essay Dec. 10 in 

the Spanish magazine Palabra defending 

the discipline of priestly celibacy. 

“There is no evidence that priestly 

celibacy directly causes any deviant 

sexual addiction, as evidenced by 

those cases of men or women who, 

due to life’s circumstances, must live 

as celibate,” Father Farnós wrote, later 

adding that “celibacy has never been 

considered as a relevant parameter to 

identify abusers. Rather, most abusers 

are married men.” 

In the same essay, Father Farnós also 

wrote that the data available to the 

CDF showed that “there is no direct 

relationship between homosexuality 

and pedophilia or between the latter 

and a ‘progressive style’ of clergy.” 

A BLESSED TEACHER — A 

woman attends the Dec. 7 

beatification Mass of Bl. James 

Miller in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. 

The U.S.-born Christian 

Brother taught students and 

served as a vice principal at his 

order’s school in the city, and 

also helped oversee a boarding 

home for male students from 

the surrounding indigenous 

communities. He was shot to 

death in 1982, one in a string 

of assassinations of priests and 

religious during the country’s 

civil war. 

Accompanying 

euthanasia? 

What would you do if you were 

asked to accompany someone who 

was dying from assisted suicide? 

Italian Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, 

president of the Pontifical Academy 

for Life, said he would do so during a 

Dec. 10 presentation on an upcoming 

Vatican-sponsored symposium on endof-life 

issues. 

“I believe that from our perspective, 

no one is abandoned, even if we are 

against assisted suicide, because we 

don’t want to do death’s dirty job,” 

Paglia said. “To accompany, to hold 

the hand of someone who is dying, 

is something that every faithful most 

promote as they must promote a culture 

that opposes assisted suicide.” 

The archbishop has faced criticism 

for his answer, as critics interpret 

his comments as inconsistent with 

Church teaching on the sanctity of 

life and the evils of assisted suicide. 

Some bishops’ conferences have 

longstanding directives that priests 

cannot be in the room if euthanasia is 

performed. 


NATION 

A bishop’s brave revelation 

The bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska, 

announced he is taking a leave of 

absence to deal with mental health 

issues. 

Bishop James Conley said Dec. 13 

he has been medically diagnosed with 

depression, anxiety, chronic insomnia 

and debilitating tinnitus (perception 

of ringing in the ears). But he expressed 

hope that opening up about 

his mental health struggles would 

help reduce the stigma around those 

kinds of illnesses. 

“It has been difficult to accept that 

my mental health problems are real 

health problems, and not just a defect 

of my character, especially during 

a year of difficulty for our diocese,” 

Conley said. 

“But the truth is that depression and 

anxiety are real psychological problems, 

with medical causes, requiring 

medical treatment. For me, those 

problems have been coupled with 

physical symptoms.” 

Archbishop George Lucas of the 

neighboring Archdiocese of Omaha 

will oversee the diocese temporarily 

during Conley’s absence. 

Attack at Mary’s Shrine 

A domestic attack this week hit 

close to home for Catholics in 

Washington, D.C. 

A man attacked two security 

guards at the Basilica of the National 

Shrine of the Immaculate 

Conception Dec. 10. A female 

security guard was pinned between 

two vehicles and a male security 

guard was stabbed multiple times. 

Both victims are in stable condition. 

“It’s happened before in other 

places: People have entered houses 

Police on the campus of The Catholic University of America Dec. 10. 

of worship and killed people there,” 

assistant rector Msgr. Vito Buonanno 

told Catholic News Agency. 

“That’s the only reason why, I 

think, we all say we’re grateful to 

God, it could have been worse.” 

While police are still probing the 

motive, they believe that there was 

a domestic relationship between 

the female victim and the suspect. 

The case is being investigated as a 

domestic violence crime, and was 

not believed to have targeted the 

shrine itself. 

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE/TYLER ORSBURN 

PITTSBURGH CATHOLIC 

A CRÈCHE COMEBACK — Father Nicholas Vaskov, moderator and director 

of the Shrines of Pittsburgh, blesses the newly erected crèche next to 

St. Stanislaus Kostka Church Dec. 7. Its dedication revives the tradition of 

having a crèche in Pittsburgh’s Strip District following a fundraising drive 

to help pay for the crèche’s construction and its statues. 

Kentucky ultrasound law stays 

The Supreme Court will not hear a challenge against a 

Kentucky law that requires doctors to describe ultrasound 

images and play fetal heartbeat sounds to women seeking 

abortion. 

Lawmakers in Kentucky argue that the law “does nothing 

more than require that women who are considering 

an abortion be provided with information that is truthful, 

nonmisleading, and relevant to their decision of whether to 

have an abortion.” 

The court rejected the case Dec. 9 without comment or 

any notes of dissent. The Kentucky law had been upheld 

by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, meaning that, 

without Supreme Court intervention, the law will go into 

effect in the state. 

Catholic groups applauded the decision, including The 

Knights of Columbus, whose pro-life work includes placing 

ultrasound machines in crisis pregnancy centers. 


LOCAL 

Beloved Damien alum, teacher dies on Mt. Baldy 

The Damien High School community 

is mourning the death of 

social science and English teacher 

Tim Staples. 

Staples became separated from 

his partner while taking part in a 

search operation for a missing hiker 

on the slopes of Mt. Baldy Dec. 

13. His body was later recovered in 

the ice and snow. 

The 32-year-old, nine-year veteran 

Search and Rescue Team member, 

who graduated from Damien in 

2006 and was recently married, 

was “a favorite teacher among his 

students,” the school said. 

“This loss is sure to raise many 

emotions, concerns, and questions for 

our entire school family, especially 

our students. Our school will have a 

crisis intervention team of clergy and 

professionals trained to help with the 

needs of students, parents, and school 

personnel.” 

A prayer service for Staples was held 

at Damien High School in La Verne 

on Monday, Dec. 16. Staples had previously 

taught at St. Lucy’s Priory. 

Tim Staples 

DAMIEN HIGH SCHOOL 

Drone research pays off for SMA junior 

Steven Conaway with his parents after receiving 

the Environmental Justice Angel Award along with 

a Certificate of Recognition from Assemblywoman 

Wendy Carrillo and LA County Supervisor Hilda L. 

Solis. 

A St. Monica Academy junior was 

the recipient of the 2019 Environmental 

Justice Angel Award at the 

East Los Angeles Community Youth 

Center’s (ELACYC) 15th Annual 

Gala last month at Cal State University 

Los Angeles. 

Steven Conaway was recognized 

for his ongoing work in designing 

a system to measure the air quality 

using drone technology to detect and 

analyze levels of carbon monoxide, 

ozone, hydrogen sulfide, nitric oxide, 

and volatile organic compounds at 

various locations within East Los 

Angeles. 

“Steven’s impressive work on this 

project to create a platform to fly sen- 

sors on the drone and then measure 

and analyze the data made him an 

ideal candidate for this environmental 

award,” said Michael Murray, ELA- 

CYC board treasurer. 

The center’s youngest award recipient, 

Conaway has worked as a tech 

instructor at the ELACYC teaching 

elementary and middle-school 

students about robotics and drones. 

He says he’s considering pursuing 

Computer Science and Electrical 

Engineering in college. 

“I know that our Lord will place 

me exactly where I’m supposed to 

be because we are all created for his 

purpose. I just hope I can serve him 

well,” said Conaway. 

Mock trial, true victory 

Members of the mock trial team 

at Holy Family Catholic School in 

South Pasadena took home the junior 

division championship title from this 

year’s Constitutional Rights Foundation 

Mock Trial program. 

More than 50 public and private 

schools in LA County participate in 

the program. They study a hypothetical 

case, conduct legal research, 

prepare for trial, and present. Students 

serve as attorneys, witnesses, and 

members of the court. Two teams 

compete at a time, earning points for 

their presentations, their cross-examinations, 

and their opening and closing 

arguments. 

The students at Holy Family practiced 

three times a week for the past 

two months to develop their communication 

skills and analytical abilities. 

They made six courthouse appearances, 

ending with their championship 

win Dec. 4. 

Holy Family mock trial team members with Judge 

Randolph Hammock (left). 

HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC SCHOOL 


LA Catholic Events 

Items for LA Catholic Events are due two weeks prior to the date of the event. They may be mailed to Angelus News (Attn: LA Catholic Events), 3424 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010-2241; emailed to 

calendar@angelusnews.com; or faxed to 213-637-6360. All items must include the name, date, time, and address of the event, plus a phone number for additional information. 

Sun., Dec. 22 

Interfaith Evening of Prayer with Valyermo Dancers. 

Holy Spirit Retreat Center, 4316 Lanai Rd., Encino, 

7 p.m. Join people of diverse communities of faith 

to lift sacred light into the face of darkness and chaos 

through song, dance, and prayer. Presenter: John 

West. Free event, freewill offerings gratefully accepted. 

RSVP at hsrcenter.com. For more information, call 

818-815-4496. 

Wed., Dec. 25 

Free Christmas Dinner and Santa Visits. St. Agatha 

Church, Herbert Johnson Hall, 2646 S. Mansfield 

Ave., Los Angeles, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Call 323-935- 

8127. 

Sat., Dec. 28 

Prayer and Life Workshops (PLW/TOV) Silent Retreat. 

St. Dominic Savio Church, 13400 Bellflower, 

Bellflower. Sat. retreat in English, Sun. retreat in 

Spanish. Registration/coffee, 7:30-7:55 a.m. Doors 

close at 8 a.m. Retreat is based on Father Ignacio 

Larranaga’s book “Transfiguration.” Before the year 

ends, come and let yourself be transfigured. Bring 

Bible and lunch; snacks and fruits provided. Cost: 

$18/person; no cost if you have materials from the 

workshops. Contact for English: Call Maria Raigoza 

at 562-445-1454 or email Filomena Rombeiro at 

PLWFilomena@gmail.com. Contact for Spanish: Call 

Rita Tapia at 562-392-5687 or email Anna Orellana 

at maravillanatural@gmail.com. 

Memorial of the Holy Innocents. Holy Cross Cemetery, 

5835 W. Slauson Ave., Culver City, 2 p.m. Mass 

at the Risen Christ Chapel followed by rosary procession 

to the Shrine of the Unborn. Presider: Bishop 

Marc Trudeau. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. 

Call 310-670-0605. 

Sun., Dec. 29 

St. Andrew Parish Open House and Russian Christmas 

Concert. St. Andrew Russian Greek Church, 538 

Concord St., El Segundo, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Join Father 

Alexei Smith at his parish for a festive afternoon of 

music and fellowship, and a chance to explore one 

of four Russian Catholic churches in the U.S. Concert 

features Russian liturgical music and carols by the 

St. Andrew Choir. Free event, Russian tea and dessert 

served. Donations to CASE and parish ministries 

welcome. Visit www.standrewelsegundo.org or email 

Father Smith at FrARSmith@la-archdiocese.org. 

Sat., Jan. 4 

2020 Interfaith Prayer for World Peace Ceremony. 

Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple, 3456 Glenmark Dr., 

Hacienda Heights, 2-4 p.m. Ceremony brings together 

religious leaders from major faith traditions to pray 

for peace. Followers of all faiths welcome. Free event, 

open to the public. Visit www.hsilai.org or email Father 

Smith at FrARSmith@la-archdiocese.org 

Sun., Jan. 5 

La Befana Celebration. Our Lady of Perpetual Help 

Church, 23233 Lyons Ave., Newhall, 12 p.m. Hosted 

by Italian Catholic Club of SCV, this unique Italian tradition 

celebrates Christmas and Epiphany. There will 

be a puppeteer, dance music, and Italian Santa Claus 

with gifts for children. Cost: $25/adults, $10/children 

7-16, free under 7 and includes dinner. RSVP to Anna 

Riggs at 661-645-7877. 

Mon., Jan. 6 

2020 Priest Conference West: Scripture and the 

Sacred Mysteries. Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, 

9700 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla. Conference runs 

Jan. 6-9. Join Scott Hahn, John Bergsma, Tim Gray, 

and Father John Riccardo for a refreshing four days 

of spiritual renewal. Cost: $625/person and includes 

room and board. Register by Jan. 1 at https://web. 

cvent.com/event/d0abb876-287c-4846-a227- 

cd9805541c50/summary. For questions, call Jean 

Jacoby at 855-740-NAPA or email jjacoby@napa-institute.org. 

Sat., Jan. 11 

Welcoming Mary in This New Year. Holy Spirit 

Retreat Center, 4316 Lanai Rd., Encino, 9:30 a.m.- 

3 p.m. Welcome 2020 with Mary and discover new 

meaning in her model of spiritual and secular life. 

Bring a favorite image of Mary for prayer altar, and 

journal and pen instead of electronic devices. Cost: 

$50/person and includes lunch, $40/person without. 

Mon., Jan. 13 

Mass and Healing Service. St. Rose of Lima Church, 

1305 Royal Ave., Simi Valley, 7 p.m. Celebrant: Father 

Luis Estrada. Call 805-526-1732. 

Tue., Jan. 14 

Dawn Unity Group-Interfaith Discovery Series: 

Disputes in My Religion. Congregation Ner Tamid, 

5721 Crestridge Rd., Rancho Palos Verdes, 7:30 p.m. 

Panelists Rev. Jonathan Chute of Rolling Hills United 

Methodist Church, Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei of Congregation 

Ner Tamid, and Rt. Rev. Alexei Smith, Ecumenical 

and Interreligious Officer of the Archdiocese 

of Los Angeles, will discuss the internal dispute over 

ordination of gay and lesbian clergy in The United 

Methodist Church. Free event, open to the public. 

Email Father Smith at FrARSmith@la-archdiocese.org. 

Thu., Jan. 16 

St. Monica Academy Grade School Open House. 

2361 Del Mar Rd., Montrose, 7 p.m. Meet teachers, 

students, and parents, and see a unique classical 

education at work. For more information, call 818- 

396-7310 or email admissions@stmonicaacademy. 

com. 

Fri., Jan. 17 

Infertility, Pregnancy, and Infant Loss Awareness 

Mass. St. John Baptist de la Salle Church, 

16555 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills, 6 p.m. Mass of 

remembrance for all those suffering. Light refreshments 

to follow in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Hall. 

Sat., Jan. 18 

Healing the Family Tree: Praying for Our Loved 

Ones, Living and Deceased. St. John Eudes Church 

Hall, 99011 Mason Ave., Chatsworth, 10 a.m.-4:30 

p.m. Led by Father Michael Barry, SSCC, and Dominic 

Berardino, topics include: “Why is it Important 

to Pray for the Deceased,” and “Breaking Bondages 

over Generations.” Mass for healing the family tree 

included. Cost: $25/person; bring lunch or dine at 

nearby restaurants. Email SCRC at spirit@scrc.org, 

call 818-771-1361, or visit www.scrc.org. 

Vatican International Exhibition of Eucharistic 

Miracles of the World. Pauline Books & Media, 3908 

Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 3-6 

p.m. Display and presentation of scientific studies, 

miracle stories, and the scriptural basis for our belief 

in the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist will be 

given at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Free event, open to the 

public. Call 310-397-8676. 

OneLife LA Youth Rally. 11 a.m. March begins at 

12:30 p.m. Join Archbishop José H. Gomez for the 

sixth annual celebration of the beauty and dignity 

of every human life, beginning at La Placita Church, 

Olvera Street, and ending at LA State Historic Park. 

Festival features entertainment, food trucks, live music, 

and speeches. Visit onelifela.org. 

Requiem Mass for the Unborn. Cathedral of Our 

Lady of the Angels, 555 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, 5 

p.m. Celebrant: Archbishop José H. Gomez. 

Sun., Jan. 19 

Pechanga Resort and Casino Trip. Our Lady of Perpetual 

Help Church, 23233 Lyons Ave., Newhall, 8 

a.m. Bus returns at 6 p.m. Cost: $25/person, prepaid 

and includes coffee, donuts, and casino credit of $5 

per person. Birthdays will be celebrated on the way 

home. RSVP to Anna Riggs at 661-645-7877. 

Visit AngelusNews.com for these stories 

and more. Your source for complete, 

up-to-the-minute coverage of local news, 

sports and events in Catholic L.A. 

This Week at AngelusNews.com 

• Robert Brennan: Has the art world gone bananas? 

• A local miracle from the tilma relic of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

• Why ‘The Two Popes’ has a dialogue problem. 


SUNDAY 

READINGS 

BY SCOTT HAHN 

Is. 7:10–14 / Ps. 24:1–6 / Rom. 1:1–7 / Matt. 1:18–24 

“Betrothal of Virgin Mary and St. Joseph,” by Sebestyén 

Stettner, 1699-1758, Hungarian. 

The mystery kept secret for 

long ages, promised through 

his prophets in the holy 

Scriptures, is today revealed 

(see Romans 16:25–26). 

This is the “Gospel of God” 

that Paul celebrates in today’s 

Epistle, the good news 

that “God is with us” in Jesus 

Christ. The sign promised to 

the house of David in today’s 

First Reading is given in 

today’s Gospel. In the virgin 

found with child, God has 

brought to Israel a Savior 

from David’s royal line (see 

Acts 13:22–23). 

Son of David according to 

the flesh, Jesus is the Son of 

God, born of the Spirit. He 

will be anointed with the 

Spirit (see Acts 10:38), and 

by the power of the Spirit 

will be raised from the dead 

and established at God’s 

right hand in the heavens 

(see Acts 2:33–34; Ephesians 

1:20–21). 

He is the “King of Glory” 

we sing of in today’s Psalm. 

The earth in its fullness has 

been given to him. And 

as God swore long ago to 

David, his kingdom will have 

no end (see Psalm 89:4–5). 

In Jesus Christ we have a new creation. 

Like the creation of the world, it 

is a work of the Spirit, a blessing from 

the Lord (see Genesis 1:2). In him, 

we are saved from our sins, are called 

now “the beloved of God.” 

All nations now are called to belong 

to Jesus Christ, to enter into the house 

of David and kingdom of God, the 

Church. Together, through the obedience 

of faith, we have been made a 

new race, a royal people that seeks for 

the face of the God of Jacob. 

He has made our hearts clean, made 

us worthy to enter his holy place, to 

stand in his presence and serve him. 

In the Eucharist, the everlasting covenant 

is renewed, the Advent promise 

of virgin with child — God with us — 

continues until the end of the age (see 

Matthew 28:20; Ezekiel 37:24–28). 

Scott Hahn is founder of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, stpaulcenter.com. 

Scott Hahn is founder of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, stpaulcenter.com. 

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

8 • ANGELUS • December August 16-23-30, 20, 2019 2019

IN EXILE 

BY FATHER RONALD ROLHEISER, OMI 

Justice and charity 

We’re all familiar, I suspect, with the 

difference between justice and charity. 

Charity is giving away some of your 

time, energy, resources, and person so 

as to help others in need. And that’s 

an admirable virtue, the sign of a good 

heart. 

Justice, on the other hand, is less 

about directly giving something away 

than it is about looking to change the 

conditions and systems that put others 

in need. 

No doubt, we’re all familiar with the 

little parable used to illustrate this 

difference. In brief, it goes like this: 

A town situated on the edge of a river 

finds itself confronted every day by a 

number of bodies floating downstream 

in the river. The townsfolk tend to the 

bodies, minister to those who are alive, 

and respectfully bury the dead. 

They do this for years, with good 

hearts; but, through all those years, 

none of them ever journey up the 

river to look at why there are wounded 

and dead bodies floating in the 

river each day. The townsfolk are 

good-hearted and charitable, but that 

in itself isn’t changing the situation 

that’s bringing them wounded and 

dead bodies daily. 

As well, the charitable townsfolk 

aren’t even remotely aware that their 

manner of life, seemingly completely 

unconnected to the wounded and 

dead bodies they’re daily attending to, 

might in fact be contributing to the 

cause of those lost lives and dreams 

and that, good-hearted as they are, 

they may be complicit in something 

that’s harming others, even while 

it’s affording them the resources and 

wherewithal to be charitable. 

The lesson here is not that 

we shouldn’t be charitable and 

good-hearted. One-to-one charity, as 

the parable of the Good Samaritan 

makes clear, is what’s demanded of 

us, both as humans and as Christians. 

The lesson is that being good-hearted 

alone is not enough. 

It’s a start, a good one, but more is 

asked of us. I suspect most of us already 

know this, but perhaps we’re less 

conscious of something less obvious, 

namely, that our very generosity itself 

might be contributing to a blindness 

that lets us support (and vote for) 

the exact political, economic, and 

cultural systems that are to blame for 

the wounded and dead bodies we’re 

attending to in our charity. 

That our own good works of charity 

can help blind us to our complicity 

in injustice is something highlighted 

in a recent book by Anand Giridharada, 

“Winners Take All: The Elite 

Charade of Changing the World” 

(Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 

$21.70). 

In a rather unsettling assertion, 

Giridharada submits that generosity 

can be, and often is, a “substitute for 

and a means of avoiding the necessity 

of a more just and equitable system 

and fairer distribution of power.” 

Charity, wonderful as it is, is not yet 

justice; a good heart, wonderful as it 

is, in not yet good policy that serves 

the less-privileged; and philanthropy, 

wonderful as it is, can have us confuse 

the charity we’re doing with the justice 

that’s asked of us. 

For this reason among others, 

Giridharada submits that public 

problems should not be privatized 

and relegated to the domain of private 

charity, as is now so often the case. 

Christiana Zenner, reviewing his 

book in America magazine, sums this 

up by saying: “Beware of the temptation 

to idealize a market or an individual 

who promises salvation without 

attending to the least among us and 

without addressing the conditions that 

facilitated the domination in the first 

place.” 

Then she adds: When we see the 

direct violation of another person, a 

direct injustice, we’re taken aback, 

but the unfairness and the perpetrator 

are obvious. We see that something 

is wrong and we can see who is to 

blame. 

But, and this is her real point, when 

we live with unjust systems that violate 

others, we can be blind to our own 

complicity because we can feel good 

about ourselves because our charity is 

helping those who have been violated. 

For example, imagine I’m a 

good-hearted man who feels a genuine 

sympathy for the homeless in my city. 

As the Christmas season approaches 

I make a large donation of food and 

money to the local food bank. 

Further still, on Christmas day 

itself, before I sit down to eat my own 

Christmas dinner, I spend several 

hours helping serve a Christmas meal 

to the homeless. My charity here is 

admirable, and I cannot help but feel 

good about what I just did. And what I 

did was a good thing! 

But then, when I support a politician 

or a policy that privileges the rich and 

is unfair to the poor, I can more easily 

rationalize that I’m doing my just part 

and that I have a heart for the poor, 

even as my vote itself helps ensure 

that there will always be homeless 

people to feed on Christmas day. 

Few virtues are as important as charity. 

It’s the sign of a good heart. But the 

deserved good feeling we get when we 

give of ourselves in charity shouldn’t 

be confused with the false feeling that 

we’re really doing our part. 

Oblate of Mary Immaculate Father Ronald Rolheiser is a spiritual writer, www.ronrolheiser.com. 


The case for the 

A new letter from Pope 

Francis argues that a 

Nativity scene is much more 

than a Christmas decoration 

crèche 

“The Adoration of the 

Child,” a 17th-century 

painting by Dutch artist 

Gerard van Honthorst. 

UFFIZI GALLERY/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

BY MIKE AQUILINA / ANGELUS 

It is indeed an age-old question: how to make worship 

relevant? 

The clergy struggled with it a thousand years ago, and 

especially at the great feast of Christmas. If Christians don’t 

understand the scriptural basis of the holiday, all they’re left 

with is revelry: tinsel and eggnog, to put it in modern terms. 

So in the 900s parishes began to develop tropes: short dramatic 

supplements to the liturgy. A scene would be set on or 

near the altar, and actors would play the parts in the Gospel 

story. Sometimes the tropes would be mimed while clergy 

proclaimed the seasonal readings. Other times they would 

be acted aloud. 

Over time, in some places, these efforts developed into 

grand productions, with musicians, dancers, and professional 

performers. The liturgy was eclipsed. The clergy got caught 

up in the showbiz spirit. And the play became the thing. 

In 1210, Pope Innocent III had had enough. He issued 

an edict forbidding the clergy from acting on stage, and 

commanded that the holy day performances be moved off 

church property. 


n of the 

-century 

utch artist 

onthorst. 

UFFIZI GALLERY/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

That same year, 1210, coincidentally, the pope 

approved the founding of a new kind of religious 

community: a group of itinerant men who lived in 

poverty and preached Jesus Christ as they wandered. They 

called themselves the “Little Brothers”: Friars Minor. Their 

leader’s name was Francis. 

Francis hailed from Assisi, just over a hundred miles north 

of Rome. After a dramatic conversion, he had taken to the 

streets and roads, gathering followers. He and his “brothers” 

strove to share the Gospel with immediacy, intensity, and 

urgency. But they did it in unconventional ways, not in 

churches, but in the byways of the world. 

Innocent III saw Francis’ method, unconventional as it was, 

as the best candidate available for the much-needed renewal 

of the Church. 

Over the next 10 years, Francis and his brothers meandered 

through Italy and even went to Egypt with the Fifth Crusade. 

His band grew at a rate that was astonishing. Francis 

strove to keep a spirit of simplicity and poverty even as the 

Little Brothers’ greater numbers won them influence in the 

Church and in the world. 

By 1223, however, it was clear to everyone that the rule of 

the Franciscans needed to be overhauled. Pope Honorius 

III oversaw the reform, which required the Friars Minor to 

become more formalized and institutionalized than Francis 

had wished. For the first time his band was called an “order.” 

The pope gave him permission, perhaps as a consolation, 

to celebrate the coming Christmas in a special way — an 

unusual way — a way that would technically violate the ban 

of his papal predecessor, Innocent III, on the use of sets and 

actors in worship. 

Francis went to the town of Greccio, about halfway between 

Rome and Assisi, and there he conspired with a loyal 

old friend named John. 

“I wish,” he said, “to enact the memory of that babe who 

was born in Bethlehem: to see as much as is possible with 

my own bodily eyes the discomfort of his infant needs, how 

he lay in a manger, and how, with an ox and an ass standing 

by, he rested on hay.” 

He asked John to plan and prepare such a scene, to be 

presented on Christmas Eve. (The details are recorded in 

the two earliest biographies of Francis, by Friar Thomas of 

Celano and St. Bonaventure.) 

John did as his friend had asked. He brought together live 

animals, with human actors to portray the Holy Family. The 

baby rested in a real manger, a feeding trough. 

When Francis arrived he found a crowd of local people 

gathered around, their torches lighting up the night as if it 

were day. 

Then the local priest came and offered Mass over the 

manger itself, using it as an altar. Francis, who was a deacon, 

chanted the Gospel and preached the Christmas sermon. 

This is what he had always desired: to share the Gospel 

with immediacy, intensity, and urgency. He wished to make 

worship relevant, of course, but not through pageantry and 

entertainment. He wanted instead to make the word visible. 

OCTAVIO DURAN/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

The heart of the Sanctuary of Greccio, Italy, in 2013 in the small Chapel of the Nativity built in the grotto that, according to local tradition, is where St. 

Francis arranged the Nativity of Christ. A rock under the altar indicates the place where Christ’s image was placed in the manger. 


He wanted what God had wanted at the moment of the 

Incarnation. 

The word was not only visible on that winter night. It was 

audible, tangible, smellable, and memorable. 

The word was edible, too. Francis saw the significance of 

the baby’s placement in a feeding trough (Luke 2:7). The 

baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a town whose Hebrew 

name means “House of Bread.” The baby grew up to call 

himself the “Bread of Life.” How fitting, then, to use the 

manger as an altar for Mass. 

On the first day of this month, Pope Francis published 

a letter from Greccio, the town where his namesake 

placed that first manger scene. 

The letter, which is available online at Vatican.va, is titled 

“Admirabile Signum,” and it is a meditation “On the Meaning 

and Importance of the Nativity scene.” 

This “depiction of Jesus’ birth,” the Holy Father tells us, “is 

itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the 

incarnation of the Son of God. The Nativity scene is like a 

living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture.” 

Francis sees the initiative of St. Francis as something more 

than a work of creative genius. It is “a great work of evangelization.” 

It invites onlookers “to ‘feel’ and ‘touch’ the poverty that 

God’s Son took upon himself in the incarnation.” 

The crèche “shows God’s tender love: the Creator of the 

universe lowered himself to take up our littleness.” 

The crèche, however, does not allow us to remain spectators. 

It is a summons “to follow [God] along the path of 

humility, poverty, and self-denial that leads from the manger 

of Bethlehem to the cross. It asks us to meet him and serve 

him by showing mercy to those of our brothers and sisters in 

greatest need.” 

In his letter, the pope proceeds to consider the particular 

virtues of each character in the scene: the newborn Jesus, 

the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the Magi, the shepherds (and 

sheep), and angels. 

But he also considers the “fanciful additions” people make 

by placing “other figures that have no apparent connection 

with the Gospel accounts.” Artistic renderings sometimes 

include a beggar, blacksmith, baker, or musicians, or all of 

the above. Children might add a favorite doll or stuffed toy 

to the scene. 

The pope observes that “these fanciful additions show that 

in the new world inaugurated by Jesus there is room for 

whatever is truly human and for all God’s creatures: … [A]ll 

this speaks of the everyday holiness, the joy of doing ordinary 

things in an extraordinary way, born whenever Jesus shares 

his divine life with us.” 

He closes his letter with recollections, from his own childhood, 

of setting up the crèche at home. He invites readers to 

call up their own memories. “Wherever it is, and whatever 

form it takes, the Christmas crèche speaks to us of the love of 

Pope Francis kisses a figurine of the baby Jesus as he celebrates Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican in 2017. 



People dressed 

as villagers from 

ancient Bethlehem 

sing Christmas 

carols as they take 

part in a re-enactment 

of the Nativity 

in the town of Arcos 

de la Frontera, 

Spain, in 2017. 

JON NAZCA/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, REUTERS 

God, the God who became a child in order to make us know 

how close he is to every man, woman, and child.” 

The crèche of 1223 in Greccio has been imitated countless 

times through the centuries, with figures alive or fashioned 

from wood, plaster, or plastic. 

St. Francis, we must conclude, succeeded where the earlier 

extravagant productions had failed. In the words of the pope 

who took his name, “His teaching touched the hearts of 

Christians and continues today to offer a simple yet authentic 

means of portraying the beauty of our faith.” 

Mike Aquilina is a contributing editor to Angelus. He is the 

author of many books, including “The World’s First Christmas: 

Jubilee 2000.” 


A special 

day for LA 

Los Angeles was part of Pope Francis’ 50th 

priestly ordination anniversary celebration 

thanks to a surprise announcement 

BY TOM HOFFARTH / ANGELUS 

Occurrentes,” a global 

education project promoting 

“Scholas 

a “culture of encounter” 

among high school students launched 

by Pope Francis, has been wanting to 

expand its reach into the United States. 

On the morning of Friday, Dec. 13, 

it was the Holy Father himself who announced 

from Rome that Los Angeles 

would be the place to start that process. 

And he couldn’t have picked a more 

special day to do it. 

“Holy Father, greetings from Los 

Angeles,” Archbishop José H. Gomez 

told his boss on the other side of the 

world via live video conference. “We 

are very happy to be with you on this 

very special day for you as you celebrate 

your 50th anniversary of priestly 

ordination. In the name of the whole 

United States family, we send you 

our prayers and our greetings on this 

important day. Congratulations! Ad 

multos annos.” 

“Gracias!” replied the pope. 

Archbishop Gomez was joined by 

Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, 

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, and nearly 

three dozen high school students from 

around the archdiocese as well as a 

handful of other dignitaries inside the 

Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels conference 

room to officially welcome the 

invitation for “Scholas Occurrentes” 

(“Schools for Encounter”) to set up its 

14th worldwide office, and its first in 

the U.S. 

Archbishop Gomez said “Scholas” is 

the kind of initiative the country is ba- 

sically “asking for” in today’s polarized 

environment. 

“It’s time for the Church to be a 

leader,” said the archbishop. “It’s a 

great opportunity for kids from different 

religions to come together and share 

what they feel and then listen and 

really help us to understand what they 

are all thinking. I think their ideas will 

be a great blessing for the future of the 

Church and society.” 

Students from Bishop Conaty-Our 

Lady of Loretto High School in LA, 

Bishop Mora Salesian High School in 

Boyle Heights, and the new St. John 

Paul II STEM Academy in Burbank 

were invited to help with LA’s acceptance 

presentation, talking directly to 

the pope live nine hours ahead from 

the Vatican’s Palazzo San Callisto. 

Pope Francis was accompanied by 

some 20 “Scholas” students from 

around the world in Rome for a 

three-day visit. Participants from Japan 

and Haiti also were part of the Friday 

presentation that streamed on the 

archdiocese’s Facebook and YouTube 

platforms. 

“Scholas Occurrentes” was first 

launched in Argentina by then-Cardinal 

Jorge Bergoglio in 2001 when 

he was archbishop of Buenos Aires. 

Its stated aim is to “encourage social 

integration ‎and a culture of encounter 

among high school students through 

sports, arts, and technology.” It later 

became a foundation in 2013, shortly 

after Cardinal Bergoglio became Pope 

Francis. 

Martina Amengual, coordinator of 

global expansion for “Scholas Occurrentes,” 

said Los Angeles was picked 

based on Pope Francis’ recommendation 

of Archbishop Gomez’s leadership. 

“Los Angeles is important because 

of the cultural diversity and different 

religions and social backgrounds that 

‘Scholas’ promotes,” said Amengual, 

who met with Archbishop Gomez to 

discuss the U.S. headquarters proposal 

just last June. 

Amengual added that the language of 

art, sports, and technology are “what 

students use to express themselves and 

connect, no matter what religion or 

country they are from. That’s where 

they can create things there with their 

minds, hearts, and hands.” 

As “Scholas” opened an office in 

Japan in November just prior to LA, 

there are national outposts now in 

Argentina, Vatican City, Colombia, 

Spain, Haiti, Italy, Mexico, Mozambique, 

Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, 

and Romania. “Scholas Occurrentes” 

is active in 190 countries, integrating 

500,000 schools and educational networks 

of all denominations. 


Archbishop José H. Gomez, Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti pose for a picture with local Catholic high school students 

inside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels conference room Dec. 13. 


LA offices for “Scholas” will be located 

on the 10th floor of the Archdiocesan 

Catholic Center on Wilshire Blvd. 

in Koreatown. 

Garcetti, who had an audience in 

Rome with Pope Francis last August, 

spoke in Spanish and English on the 

video conference Friday. 

“We’re excited to have this in Los 

Angeles and the students are excited 

to talk about the world, the environment, 

everything about this moment,” 

Garcetti said. “In a time of division, we 

bring unity.” 

Paul Escala, superintendent of Catholic 

schools, said Garcetti’s commitment 

“speaks volumes to the fact this isn’t 

just a Church-led initiative, but is a 

collective responsibility of the city that 

goes beyond the Church’s opportunity 

to expand beyond the parish and 

schools. 

“One of the blessings we have is a 

Holy Father who understands how to 

speak to the youth, the challenges they 

face as the next generation inheriting 

a world that seemingly appears divided 

and under extraordinary stress,” added 

Escala. 

Auxiliary Bishop O’Connell, who 

along with Garcetti will be on the U.S. 

board of directors, said his impetus for 

joining was a concern for the health of 

young people today. 

“Many are suffering from being alone, 

nervous about the future, what’s happening 

to their families,” said Bishop 

O’Connell. “It feels like an epidemic 

of loneliness among young people. I 

know the Holy Father loves the youth 

and has a youthful heart. He wants to 

see them be able to come out of their 

isolation and talk to each other, share 

their hopes and dreams and find ways 

to work together so they realize they 

have power to change their lives and 

the world.” 

Amengual said that the outreach 

of “Scholas” so far has found gun 

violence and mental health foremost 

on the minds of U.S. students today. 

Globally, cyberbullying is also a growing 

issue. 

Several students present Friday 

expressed concerns about finding solutions 

in their community to homelessness 

and immigration. 

Nathan Toledo of Salesian High 

School said connecting with students 

from around the world is “exciting, 

but taking the first step is the hardest; 

getting kids engaged in anything is 

difficult. But once they are in, I think 

they maintain it and respond to the 

challenges.” 

Ashley Garcia, a junior at Bishop Conaty-Our 

Lady of Loretto High School, 

was one of two youth speakers from 

the LA presentation, and focused on 

thanking the Holy Father for his guidance 

and acknowledging Friday as the 

50th anniversary of his ordination. After 

her speech, the room of students held 

up signs with shouts of congratulations, 

bringing a smile to Pope Francis’ face. 

“All through my Catholic education, 

I have been taught about the importance 

of my faith, and I felt that today 

in being able to talk to the pope,” said 

Garcia. 

“I felt proud of my faith and it’s important 

to me as a Catholic and a Latina. 

I think ‘Scholas’ will be an amazing 

opportunity for the youth to let us use 

our voice and power for the future of 

the Church and express ourselves and 

be better versions of who we are.” 

Tom Hoffarth is an award-winning 

journalist based in Los Angeles. 


The red pope’s top mission 

Why his new promotion could make Cardinal Luis Tagle a pivotal 

player in the Vatican’s relationship with China 

BY JOHN L. ALLEN JR. / ANGELUS 

Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle of Manila points to a photo of his maternal grandfather, who emigrated from China to the Philippines. During 

a Vatican news conference May 23, the cardinal added the photo of his “Lolo Kim” to the mosaic made of the faces of migrants, world leaders, and Caritas 

staff members from around the world. 

ROBERT DUNCAN/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

ROME — In the abstract, one 

could make the argument that 

the emergence of China as a 

global superpower, and how it chooses 

to exercise its expanding political 

and economic influence, is the most 

important geopolitical drama of the 

21st century. 

If China is the world’s most crucial 

new “hard power,” the Vatican remains 

its most influential “soft power,” meaning 

the premier voice of conscience 

on the global stage and the lone entity 

recognized as a state under international 

law with no real national interests to 

defend. 

The evolving relationship between 

Rome and Beijing, therefore, could be 

part of the century’s most important 

strategic storyline. 

In that drama, a potentially important 

new player is now set to enter the stage. 

On Dec. 9, Pope Francis named 

62-year-old Cardinal Luis Antonio 

Gokim Tagle of Manila in the Philippines 

as the new prefect of the Congregation 

for the Evangelization of 

Peoples (a position commonly referred 

to as “the red pope”), the Vatican’s primary 

missionary department, which is 


ROBERT DUNCAN/CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

still better known around the Catholic 

world by its old Latin name, “Propaganda 

Fidei.” 

Most attention among Vatican-watchers 

has focused on how the appointment 

strengthens Pope Francis’ hand 

in his own shop by putting another 

staunch papal loyalist in a key position, 

and also boosts Cardinal Tagle’s own 

stock as a possible successor somewhere 

down the line. 

A bit overlooked, however, is that 

Cardinal Tagle’s new post also makes 

him a key figure going forward in Vatican-China 

relations. 

To begin with, Cardinal Tagle has 

Chinese roots. 

His mother, Milagros Gokim, was 

the daughter of a Chinese migrant 

who came to the Philippines with his 

brother on a business trip and stayed 

in the country, eventually marrying 

a woman, Cardinal Tagle’s maternal 

grandmother, who was also of mixed 

Filipino-Chinese ancestry. 

In a 2017 book, Cardinal Tagle was 

interviewed about his Chinese roots. 

“I think some Chinese characteristics 

have passed on to me, even though my 

grandfather spent most of his life in the 

Philippines,” Cardinal Tagle said. 

“I remember certain practices he 

observed, such as honoring his mother 

by offering her food, putting it in front 

of her photograph, with a few sticks 

of incense, or setting off fireworks to 

welcome the New Year, or offering a 

lot of food during family meals.” 

Cardinal Tagle said his grandfather 

also passed on other typically Chinese 

traits, such as “respect for the old and 

family loyalty, living simply while 

focusing on the essential, the value 

of education, and work done in an 

ethical way based on right motivation, 

diligence, and trust.” 

At 9 years old, the cardinal said, 

his grandfather pressed him to learn 

Chinese and he took private lessons in 

both Mandarin and the local Filipino 

dialect. For a time, he said, he was 

advanced in his studies, but eventually 

stopped going to his tutor and now said 

he “regrets” not pressing ahead. 

In that sense, Cardinal Tagle’s biography 

makes him part of a sort of Chinese 

diaspora in the Philippines, which 

is among the largest overseas Chinese 

populations in southeast Asia. 

An altar boy holds a candle in preparation for a 

Palm Sunday procession at a Catholic church 

in China’s Youtong village. Catholics in Macau, 

Taiwan, and Hong Kong are divided over the 

provisional agreement between China and the 

Vatican. 

Further, as a Filipino, Cardinal Tagle 

does not carry the baggage in conversations 

with China that a Westerner 

might. Relations between China and 

the Philippines are generally good; 

China is the Philippines’ top trading 

partner, reaching $55.7 billion in 2018, 

as well as the largest import-export 

market for Filipino goods and the 

second-largest source of tourism in the 

Philippines. China also pumped $66.2 

million worth of foreign investment 

into the Philippines in 2018. 

On another level, Cardinal Tagle’s 

post at the Congregation for the Evangelization 

of Peoples positions him to 

be an important player in Vatican-Chinese 

relations. 

Technically, the Congregation for the 

Evangelization of Peoples ceased to 

have direct control over ecclesiastical 

affairs in China in 1946, just before the 

Communist takeover in 1949, when 

the Vatican recognized China as a 

national church in its own right. 

However, the missionary department 

nonetheless remains engaged in conversations 

about the Catholic footprint 

in the country, and also exercises broad 

leadership over Church affairs across 

Asia. 

DAMIR SAGOLJ/REUTERS VIA CNS 

Last September, for instance, the 

Congregation for the Evangelization 

of Peoples officially erected a Redemptoris 

Mater College for Evangelization 

in Asia, based in Macau, with responsibility 

for preparing future priests 

formed by the Neocatechumenal Way 

for evangelization across the Asian 

continent. 

As a result, and given the trust Cardinal 

Tagle enjoys from Pope Francis, 

it’s impossible not to suspect that he’ll 

have an important seat at the table 

when significant Vatican decisions visà-vis 

Beijing are made. 

In general, Cardinal Tagle is seen 

as a political moderate and a man of 

dialogue, meaning he’s likely to uphold 

a broadly dovish line on Chinese 

relations, as opposed to hawks, such as 

retired Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong 

Kong, who believe the Vatican ought 

to be tougher with China on religious 

freedom, the Hong Kong protests, and 

a number of other fronts. 

In a recent interview, two experts on 

Vatican-Chinese affairs said Cardinal 

Tagle might bring a breath of fresh air. 

Cardinal Tagle “might be able to help 

with the facilitation” of the Vatican’s 

China question, said Paolo Affatato, 

head of the Asia desk for Fides News, 

adding that the appointment could provide 

“more open doors.” 

Likewise, Father Bernardo Cervellera, 

head of Asia News and a longtime 

expert on Chinese affairs, said Cardinal 

Tagle could help advance relations 

with China, “not so much because of 

the Chinese blood, but because of his 

intelligence and his attitude.” 

It remains to be seen if the sort of 

“Ostpolitik with an Asian face” represented 

by Cardinal Tagle will be the 

key that unlocks the China conundrum 

for the Vatican, paving the way 

for a long-awaited deal on full diplomatic 

relations between Rome and 

Beijing, a desideratum for the Vatican 

that goes back far before Pope Francis 

was elected, and which has become 

effectively the cornerstone of its Asia 

policy. 

What’s unmistakable today, however, 

is that Rome’s road to Beijing now runs 

through the Philippines and its ethnically 

Chinese native son. 

John L. Allen Jr. is the editor of Crux. 


‘Something 

we wish 

we had’ 

Does renewed 

nostalgia for a figure 

like Mr. Rogers reflect 

our longing for a truly 

healthier culture? 

BY KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ / ANGELUS 

Fred Rogers visits with children in a scene from the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” 

Tom Hanks has brought the beloved 

Fred Rogers to major motion 

picture screens this holiday 

season. What is it about his tenderness 

we seem to long for? What is it about 

his model for caring for children and 

one another that we need to recapture? 

Erica Komisar is a psychoanalyst in 

New York City and author of “Being 

There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood 

in the First Three Years Matters.” In 

recent weeks, she’s written powerfully 

about Fred Rogers, political correctness, 

and the faith of children as a 

columnist for the Wall Street Journal. 

Angelus contributing editor Kathryn 

Jean Lopez asked her some questions 

about parenting, nostalgia, and what 

our renewed interest in Mr. Rogers in 

2019 might promise for the future. 

Erica Komisar 

© SHARON SCHUSTER 

Kathryn Jean Lopez: In your op-ed 

for the Wall Street Journal on Fred 

Rogers and children, you wrote, “Rogers 

rejected the old-fashioned idea that 

children are to be seen and not heard. 

He believed adults should lead them 

with love and understanding, not fear 

and punishment. Children are delicate 

human beings, emotionally sensitive 

and neurologically fragile. To develop 

emotional and mental health, they 

need respect and tenderness — the 

freedom to express all their feelings 

and the security of being acknowledged 

by the adults who care for them.” 

How can we ever restore/renew/create 

(Which is it? All of the above?) a 

culture where children are considered 

treasures? 

Erica Komisar: It would be incorrect 


to say that the past is something to 

idealize in terms of parenting. Many 

mothers did stay home, fathers and 

mothers attended their children’s sports 

events and there was more of a physical 

presence of family in children’s lives in 

the past. 

However, there was also a great deal 

of emotional insensitivity, repression 

of emotion, and treating children as 

if they were to be seen and not heard. 

Parents did not necessarily value children 

as separate individuals who had a 

great deal to offer. 

Fred Rogers became a model for sensitivity 

and empathy toward children at 

a time when parents were still spanking 

children and not engaging them 

emotionally or valuing their individual 

voices. 

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE/JIM JUDKIS, FOCUS FEATURES 

The new model is one of not just 

loving our children, but understanding 

them; not just spending more time 

with them physically, but showing up 

emotionally; valuing what they feel 

and what they say; showing interest in 

them as people not just for what they 

achieve. So we are, in fact, creating a 

new model of parenting. 

Lopez: What is behind our Mr. 

Rogers nostalgia? Is it some widespread 

desire for a time when we had some 

basic agreement on some fundamentals 

when it comes to gender, identity, 

purpose, even common decency? 

Komisar: Nostalgia over Fred Rogers 

is really recognition of his incredible 

contribution to parenting and child 

development and our understanding of 

how to raise healthy children. He was 

really the first public figure to respect 

children and childhood and to connect 

the way we treat our children to their 

mental health and personality development. 

I think many adults are longing for 

and wishing they had parents who were 

as emotionally attuned and sensitive as 

Mr. Rogers. There is so much pain in 

adults due to insensitivity and neglect 

in their own childhood. Nostalgia is 

not necessarily wishing for something 

we had, rather something we wish we 

had and never had. 

Lopez: How can Mr. Rogers help 

us, besides teaching us to slow down 

and be kinder? Is there some kind of 

transformational shift that is begging to 

happen? 

Komisar: Mr. Rogers advocated kindness 

and empathy toward all human 

beings. He was a minister as well as 

a TV personality. His goal was to get 

adults to recognize that we are all valuable 

and lovable in the eyes of God. 

Children do not need to do anything 

special or achieve great things to be 

valuable or loved. This is a message 

that we need desperately today. 

Lopez: I’m guessing you did not title 

your other recent Wall Street Journal 

piece “Don’t Believe in God? Lie to 

Your Children.” But what is it about 

faking it that you want to relay as a 

parental responsibility? 

Komisar: No, you are correct, I did 

not give my piece its title. 

However, I do say in the piece, if you 

do not believe in God or heaven, you 

have to come up with a believable story 

to reassure your children. That is a 

white lie if you do not believe in God 

and heaven. 

But, from a child development perspective, 

children cannot cope with the 

finality of death. It is far too frightening 

to tell your young child that they are 

dust when they die. They need to have 

hope and a belief that loss is not final. 

Without that hope, they may become 

frightened and anxious about the 

future and ultimate losses. For believers 

it is not lying. But for nonbelievers it is 

a white lie, which protects the fragile 

psyches of their children and perhaps 

encourages them to rethink their own 

beliefs. 

Lopez: Why is faith so important to 

children, family life and, we often read, 

even our health? 

Komisar: Faith or belief in magical 

things we cannot see or touch is important 

to children. From early childhood, 

imagination and imaginary play is a 

way that children work through their 

conflicts and cope with frustration and 

loss. Fantasy is critical for social emotional 

development. 

Faith or belief in a nurturing, loving 

God or higher power who you can turn 

to in hard times helps children to cope 

with adversity and loneliness. Think 

of it as a nurturing parental support 

that you can summon up anytime and 

anywhere you may need it. The ability 

to reach inside and find that source of 

strength and security is supportive in 

hard times, and we all have hard times. 

Faith also provides children with hope 

and a path forward in a stressful and 

sometimes overwhelming and competitive 

world. Hope is not something we 

can see or touch. It is not something 

tangible or concrete. Like the belief in 

God and heaven it is something that 

helps us to go on and look forward, to 

be optimistic about the future. 

Lopez: Is there something you would 

like faith communities to appreciate 

about this more? About how they 

present themselves as communities and 

individuals? 

Komisar: Parents are models for 


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SHUTTERSTOCK 

children when it comes to faith. When 

parents have faith, get joy from their 

beliefs, and instill empathy, gratitude, 

and hope through those beliefs, their 

children will follow. Not immediately 

(particularly in adolescence when teens 

need to rebel), but eventually. 

If parents do not push too hard and do 

not punish their children for temporarily 

rejecting their faith, chickens 

will come home to roost. If, however, 

parents feel rejected, get angry, and 

retaliate when their children reject 

religion, they may win the battle but 

will not win the war. 

Structure, but with a lighter touch, is 

always best for children. The best way 

to teach your children is by modeling 

how faith enriches your own lives as 

parents. 

Lopez: How does Mr. Rogers help 

with faith? Is it impossible to understand 

him without it? 

Komisar: Mr. Rogers was a minister 

and a man of faith, and though he 

did not advertise that in his TV show, 

he enacted all of the values of a man 

who believed in the goodness of all 

human beings. His sensitivity, empathy, 

acceptance of others, and belief in the 

intrinsic value of all children was an 

expression of his religious beliefs. It 

would be impossible to separate the 

man from his beliefs. 

Lopez: Is there something especially 

important for people to understand 

about family and parenting today? 

Komisar: Your children need you 

more than you think they do. That 

does not mean you have to be there 

every second, nor does it mean you 

should become a hovering, intrusive, 

or anxious parent. 

What it does mean is that we have 

gotten our priorities all wrong. Time 

is a barometer of what we value. If you 

spend only 90 minutes per day with 

your child and work 10 hours per day, 

then work is your priority. 

The question I ask parents is not, “Do 

you love your children?” because the 

answer for the most part is “Yes.” The 

question I ask parents is, “Are you really 

interested in your child or childhood? 

Do you enjoy just being with them and 

playing with them?” 

If the answer is “Not so much,” then 

I know I have a good deal of work to 

do with that parent to understand the 

pain that adult experienced as a child 

whose own parents were not interested 

in spending time with them. 

Our children need our time, but 

more importantly they need us to be 

interested in them above all things, 

and they know when we are not. They 

know when they are not our priority, 

and it is incredibly painful to children. 

Lopez: Nothing we’re talking about 

here is ideological or partisan. Do you 

have any hope for common ground 

on some of these things? That maybe 

this new movie and the positive public 

impression of Mr. Rogers bears hope 

for something better for our politics 

and culture, including social media, 

and lives? 

Komisar: Understanding and acceptance 

of differences and kindness 

toward one another is what is missing 

today. We are more similar than we 

are different. It is not until we can see 

many perspectives that we can bring 

communities together. 

We share basic human values and 

have similar goals as humans: to feel 

understood, to be acknowledged, to be 

accepted, and to live with our universal 

needs of freedom, health, dignity, and 

safety met. 

Our common humanity is greater 

than our differences. 

Angelus contributor Kathryn Jean 

Lopez is a senior fellow at the National 

Review Institute, editor-at-large of 

National Review, and author of “A Year 

with the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for 

Daily Living” (Tan Books, $44.95). 

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Present instead of productive 

This time last year, I had just 

relocated to a new city and was 

weeks away from getting married. 

A mentor of mine orchestrated a 

gathering so that I could meet several 

young Catholic mothers who might 

help me transition to the area and to 

married life. 

She introduced each woman by 

describing her educational and 

professional background and family 

makeup. She ended by mentioning 

one personality trait or talent that 

each woman possessed. 

When the host introduced the last 

guest at the table, she described her as 

having the “charism of availability.” 

“She has this ability to make herself 

present to you, even if she has a host 

of pressing things to do,” my friend 

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, also known as 

St. Edith Stein, in an undated photo. 

Learning to find purpose in days of love, not lists 

BY ELISE ITALIANO URENECK / ANGELUS 

CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE FILES 

“St Francis de Sales,” by Giovanni Battista 

Lucini, 1665. 

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS 

said. It was obvious from one glance 

at her children’s calm and collected 

manner that they were beneficiaries of 

that gift. 

That description stayed with me over 

the course of the year. For starters, it 

made me think of two saints: first, St. 

Edith Stein, who wrote extensively 

about how women are particularly 

attuned to the emotional, physical, 

and psychological needs of others. 

When writing about women who are 

teachers, she claimed, “children … 

do not need merely what we have but 

what we are.” 

Second, I thought of St. Francis de 

Sales, who counseled his spiritual sons 

and daughters to meet the demands 

of the present moment, even if they 

interrupted other vocational responsibilities. 

“Not only is God always in the 

place where you are,” he wrote, “but 

God is in a very special manner in the 

depths of your spirit.” 

The description also stayed with 

me because it struck a chord: I do 

not naturally possess such a charism, 

though I very much wish to have it. 

I often joke that while there exists a 

“Type A” personality, I could easily be 

described as “Type A+.” 

My mind is always going; I am constantly 

thinking several steps ahead. I 

keep a running checklist of things that 

I can accomplish or achieve, from 

mundane household chores to new 

skill sets. I have a list of books to read 

and recipes to master. I see the day in 

terms of blocks of time that I need to 

utilize efficiently to maximize what I 

can get done. In sum, I can’t sit still. 

Some blessings of this personality 

type include being adept at anticipating 

people’s needs, keeping an orderly 

home, and meeting my professional 

goals and responsibilities on time. 

But the downsides are that I tend to 

associate my value and worth with my 

productivity and efficiency, not with 

my person. 

Maintaining such a high output 

means being tethered to email, social 

media, and a to-do list. And it means 

that I sometimes miss the cues of 

friends and loved ones who need my 

presence more than my productivity, 

who need me to sit with them or 

listen to them instead of providing 

something for them. 

I know I’m far from alone in struggling 

with this. A recent piece in The 

Atlantic entitled, “Why You Never 

See Your Friends Anymore,” outlines 

how our current economy is designed 

so that whether we are salaried or do 

shift work, we are more in demand 

than ever before and less available to 

our loved ones. 

The author makes the case that the 



A girl holds baby Jesus figurines for Pope Francis to bless during his Angelus delivered from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the 

Vatican in 2013. While the days leading to Christmas are filled with shopping and other holiday preparations, the pope recommended that people also find 

time for silence so they can listen to God. 

pressure starts too early, and that the 

societal cost for such an arrangement 

is ultimately too high: 

“Even if you aren’t asked to pull a 

weekend shift, work intrudes upon 

those once-sacred hours. The previous 

week’s unfinished business beckons 

when you open your laptop; urgent 

emails from a colleague await you in 

your inbox. A low-level sense of guilt 

attaches to those stretches of time not 

spent working. As for the children, 

they’re not off building forts; they’re 

padding their college applications 

with extracurricular activities or playing 

organized sports.” 

Throughout my life, God has 

provided me with invitations to trade 

doing for being. But when I fail to 

learn a lesson over time, he replaces 

gentle promptings with more extreme 

interruptions and disruptions to the 

status quo. 

That’s what he’s done with me this 

Advent. In this season of silence and 

stillness, a season in which the Christ 

Child literally breaks through time 

and history to meet us, I am caring 

for my firstborn child who is a mere 5 

weeks old. 

This time of transition has rendered 

me completely unproductive, at least 

in the ways I was accustomed to. I am 

confident that any new parent can 

sympathize. On the days I plan to go 

for a walk or run an errand, my baby is 

ravenous, confining me to my rocking 

chair for hours on end. 

When I want to make a homecooked 

meal, my baby wants to be 

held, so I eat what I can with my one 

free hand. There is simply no way to 

stay current with news, email, or anything 

else for professional purposes. 

I am training myself to accept that 

the most valuable thing I can do for 

my son is to be present to him, to 

meet his needs when they need to be 

met, to study his profile, to learn his 

personality, to marvel at him while 

he is sleeping, to delight in each new 

developmental stage he hits. 

It’s been a time of unlearning and 

unknowing, as the mystics say. It has 

been a time to think about what really 

matters in the end. 

I continue to contemplate the quotation 

often attributed to St. Teresa 

of Calcutta: “It is not how much we 

do, but how much love we put in the 

doing.” I have stopped asking myself, 

“What did you accomplish?” at the 

end of the day and instead ask myself, 

“Did you love today?” 

Advent is the season in which we are 

all invited to make space and time for 

the Christ Child, in whatever way or 

form he comes to us. Maybe we can 

all make a New Year’s resolution to accomplish 

less and love more this year, 

to cultivate a “charism of availability” 

by giving the gift of ourselves to those 

who most need it. 

If the Child Jesus is anything like my 

baby, he will delight in such a gift. 

Elise Italiano Ureneck, associate director 

of the Center for the Church in the 

21st Century at Boston College, writes 

the “Finding God in All Things” column 

for Catholic News Service. 


The importance of never forgetting 

Pope John Paul II greets Rabbi Elio Toaff at Rome’s main synagogue April 13, 1986. The meeting 

marked the beginning of a new era in Catholic-Jewish relations. It was the first time a pope had 

entered the Rome synagogue. 

I 

was probably about 10 or 11 years 

old when I became friends with 

Harry Bernstein. Harry and I met 

while playing in a chess tournament in 

Westchester. 

In the way that kids can, we quickly 

became fast friends. We both liked 

baseball. Our idol was Sandy Koufax, 

legendary pitcher for the LA Dodgers. 

I’m not sure I knew then that Koufax 

was Jewish. If I had, I might have converted 

on the spot. 

I did know that Harry was Jewish, and 

he knew I was Catholic. 

Harry’s family seemed exotic to me, 

and the impression they made on me 

remains after all these years. I remember 

his parents as short and darkhaired, 

very different from my parents. 

Their Playa del Rey apartment was tidy 

INTERSECTIONS 

and calm. 

His parents seemed bemused that 

Harry’s chess and baseball-loving 

friend was Catholic. I had dinner over 

at their house more than once, and the 

meals had different smells and tastes. I 

remember his mother taking pleasure 

in my newfound passion for kugel. 

I lost touch with Harry after my 

family moved out of the area, but as I 

grew older and learned more about the 

often fraught nature of Catholic-Jewish 

relations, I felt singularly blessed that I 

had known him and his family. 

It was years later before I realized 

that while I was throwing a baseball 

with Harry, Church leaders were 

promulgating “Nostra Aetate” (“In Our 

Time”), the groundbreaking document 

of the Second Vatican Council 

BY GREG ERLANDSON 

ARTURO MARI/L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO VIA CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

that set the Church on a new course 

regarding its relations with Jews and 

Judaism. 

In 2015, on the 50th anniversary 

of “Nostra Aetate,” Rabbi Noam E. 

Marans recalled that when it was first 

released, it was greeted with mixed 

reviews by Jewish leaders. Time has 

shown, he said, that the document was 

in fact “revolutionary, transformative.” 

Since Vatican II and the promulgation 

of “Nostra Aetate,” Catholic 

teaching has taken a decisive turn. 

Anti-Semitism has been condemned, 

and the accusation that the Jewish 

people bear some sort of responsibility 

for the death of Christ, a longstanding 

shibboleth of the anti-Semite, has been 

rejected. Popes Paul VI, John Paul II, 

and now Francis have all sought to 

heal this historic breach. 

Perhaps most powerful was the example 

of John Paul II. He was the first 

pope to visit Rome’s synagogue. He 

established diplomatic relations with 

the state of Israel. 

And, on the eve of the Third Millennium, 

he wrote: “The Church should 

become more fully conscious of the 

sinfulness of her children, recalling all 

those times in history when they departed 

from the spirit of Christ and his 

Gospel and instead of offering to the 

world the witness of a life inspired by 

the values of faith, indulged in ways of 

thinking and acting which were truly 

forms of counter-witness and scandal.” 

Yet all of these developments have 

taken place within the long shadow of 

anti-Semitism in the Christian West, 

culminating in the Shoah, or Holocaust. 

The Church’s response to the 

Nazi campaigns of persecution and 

extermination remains both morally 


wrenching and historically complex. 

There were genuine saints and heroes, 

but many leaders and laity “were 

truly forms of counter-witness and 

scandal.” 

A new documentary called “Holy 

Silence” was recently shown at the 

United States Holocaust Memorial 

Museum in Washington, D.C. The 

event was titled “Reconsidering the 

Catholic Church and the Holocaust.” 

The documentary was made by Steven 

Pressman, a self-described Jewish kid 

from San Fernando Valley. 

“Holy Silence” looked at the 

Church’s approach to the Nazi threat 

through the prism of two popes, Popes 

Pius XI and Pius XII. Unfortunately, 

this binary approach sets up Pius XII as 

the “bad pope,” more concerned about 

communism than genocide, more concerned 

about the status of the Church 

than the murder of innocents. 

Pressman’s film did not “reconsider” 

this thesis or provide nuance to the 

portrayal. It also did not address the 

arguments by passionate defenders of 

Pius, such as Ronald Rychlak. 

An image of Pope Pius XII on a poster for the 

documentary “Holy Silence.” The film examines 

whether Jewish lives would have been saved 

had Pope Pius XI or his successor, Pope Pius 

XII, issued a statement urging the protection of 

Jews in Axis-held Europe. 

PERLEPRESS PRODUCTIONS VIA CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE 

I think this was an opportunity 

missed, but I am grateful that Francis 

has ordered that the Vatican Apostolic 

Archive regarding this period of its 

history be opened to historians next 

year to research more accurately what 

Pius did or did not do. 

All of this takes place against the 

backdrop of what once seemed unimaginable: 

a resurgence of anti-Semitism 

on both the left and the right. 

In Europe and in the United States, 

synagogues have been attacked, mobs 

have gathered, and today rare is the 

Jewish worship space that is not forced 

to lock doors and hire security simply 

to gather in prayer. The warning signs 

are there for all to see. 

Harry Bernstein and I practiced our 

fast balls, oblivious to 2,000 years of 

contention and bigotry that too often 

divided our forebears. 

Now we adults do not have this luxury, 

lest past sins be forgotten and the 

old lies retold yet again. 

Greg Erlandson is the president and 

editor-in-chief of Catholic News Service. 

St. Paul Center 

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Signage on the side of the venue during Kanye West’s “Jesus Is King” album and film experience at The Forum Oct. 23 in Inglewood. 

KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES FOR ABA 

Walking by faith? 

There’s room for skepticism 

about Kanye West’s ‘Jesus 

is King’ conversion, but not 

enough to make us lose hope 

BY ARSENIO ORTEZA / ANGELUS 

It may seem like a strange way to begin a discussion of 

Kanye West’s latest album, “Jesus Is King,” but here it 

goes: We might be talking too much about West’s latest 

album. 

In the history of what Casey Kasem used to call the “poprock 

era,” a handful of conversions to one kind of Christianity 

or another have had what might be called headline-making 

ramifications: Cliff Richard’s (the mid-’60s), Al Green’s 

(the mid-’70s), Little Richard’s (in fits and starts from the late 

’50s through the late ’70s), Bob Dylan’s (the late-’70s), Dion 

DiMucci’s (ditto), Alice Cooper’s (the mid-’80s), and Nina 

Hagen’s (the 2000s). 

But even the concentric circles resulting from those big 

splashes, with the possible exception of Richard’s (whose 

faith-inspired philanthropy has made him a, if not the, face 

of Corporal Works of Mercy in the U.K.) and Dylan’s (whose 

Gospel-era “Trouble No More” box recently stirred up 

renewed interest), have to a large extent rippled out. 

Curiously, of everyone on that list, it’s those whose pilgrimages, 

for whatever reasons, have been written and talked 

about the least — Little Richard’s, DiMucci’s, Cooper’s, and 

Hagen’s — whose publicly trackable behavior continuously 

places them on the faith-practicing radar. 

Could it be that the more coverage a new Christian’s 

Christianity gets, the less likely it is that a new Christian will 

mature into an older one? Between how much a new believer 

ends up feeling rewarded by all the attention and how 

much the inevitable ebbing of that attention tempts him to 

think less of his Lord and Savior and more about how to get 

his next publicity fix? 

If so, West is facing a steep uphill climb. 

True, “over 1,000” people reportedly “rais[ed] their hands 

to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior” in response to an 

“altar call” at West’s Nov. 3 Sunday service in Baton Rouge, 

and one wishes them well. 

But even this good news should be understood in context: 

De-sacramentalized mass conversions are common in Evangelical 

Protestant circles. 


And the bigger the numbers, the less the follow-up, meaning 

that there’s sometimes not much effort expended in 

finding out what percentage of people who “convert” in the 

middle of such emotionally charged atmospheres see their 

commitment through to the point of actually picking up 

their crosses and denying themselves daily (it’s notable that 

West’s most public declaration of his change in direction to 

date, for example, has taken place in a megachurch alongside 

Joel Osteen). 

The Lord, as 1 Kings 19 makes clear, is not always in strong 

winds, earthquakes, or raging fires. 

Frankly, the potency of what West’s doing now relies a lot 

on whether he’ll continue not only to talk his Jesus talk but 

also (and more importantly) to walk his Jesus walk. 

About that talk: At just over 27 minutes, “Jesus Is King” the 

album feels, strictly in terms of quantity, as anti-climactic 

as West’s 38-minute “Jesus Is King” IMAX film. Given the 

hype preceding both, one expected something, well, bigger. 

But, make no mistake, whether as music or as testimony, the 

album’s quality is no problem. 

On the most basic level, it’s a reminder that rap can be 

good, clean, even effervescent, fun (something that listeners 

with fond memories of Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, and 

DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince need not be told). 

There’s a buoyancy to the “Jesus is King” flow of West and 

his featured guest rappers that seems to stem from the joy of 

discovering that there’s more to life than inventing new ways 

to deploy George Carlin’s “Seven Words You Can Never Say 

on Television” in celebration of the Seven Deadly Sins. 

The flat-out jokes have the same effect. Not counting the 

mellow love song to Chick-fil-A restaurants (“Closed on 

Sunday”), which is hilarious on its face (even if West has 

some serious Sabbath-keeping on his mind) or “Follow God” 

(in which West’s father repeatedly shuts down arguments 

Kanye West performs onstage during his “Jesus Is King” album and film 

experience at The Forum Oct. 23 in Inglewood. 

KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES FOR ABA 

with his son by accusing him of not being “Christ-like”), 

“Jesus Is King” contains only two one-liners: “When I 

thought the Book of Job was a job, / the Devil had my soul” 

(“On God”), and “What if Eve made apple juice? / You gon’ 

do what Adam do / or say, ‘Baby, let’s put this back on the 

tree’?” (“Everything We Need”). 

But they are funny, and, to quote G.K. Chesterton, “unless 

a man is in part a humorist, he is only in part a man.” 

About that walk: One West fan has referred to “Jesus Is 

King” as “Jesus Walks” parts two through 12. “Jesus Walks,” 

for those not up on their hip-hop, was a double-platinum 

single from West’s 2004 debut, “The College Dropout.” In 

the song’s refrain, West raps, “God, show me the way ’cause 

the Devil’s tryin’ to break me down. / The only thing that I 

pray is that my feet don’t fail me now.” 

West’s pastor, the Reverend Adam Tyson, has counseled, 

wisely, against cynically assuming that West’s feet will fail. 

Rather, Reverend Tyson insists (again wisely) believers 

should support and encourage their new brother. 

But it’s not necessarily cynicism that makes observers wary 

of getting too pumped up about a celebrity convert. It was Jesus 

who, in the Parable of the Sower, cautioned his followers 

not to assume that every flowering of a seed would thrive. 

The soil in some cases simply might be too rocky or too 

shallow to allow the word of God to thrive in it. In other 

cases, the sprouts get choked by thorns. 

Of course, that parable isn’t meant to provide us with a 

schema by which we may assess the faith of others, but one 

by which we must assess our own. It’s a point that, judging 

from these lines from the “Jesus Is King” track “Hands On,” 

West understands: “I have a request, you see. / Don’t throw 

me up. Lay your hands on me. / Please, pray for me.” 

Implicit in such a request is the hope that his soul’s soil will 

prove not rocky and shallow but rich and fertile and that the 

thorns, which (especially where celebrities are concerned) 

can be nettlesome in the extreme, will not prevail against 

whatever takes root and grows there. 

So far, it must be said that West’s body of work since the 

mid 2000s shows an artist longing for true Christianity to 

overcome the shallow offerings of rap-star fame, even as he 

has since then battled addiction, dated a stripper, and, more 

recently, together with his wife, sadly employed the services 

of a surrogate mother to have two of their four children. 

Still, in the case of West, there’s hope. Perhaps the track of 

“Jesus is King” that will enjoy the most long-term notoriety 

is his collaboration with Kenny G and rapper Pusha T, “Use 

This Gospel,” whose chorus goes: 

“Use this gospel for protection / It’s a hard road to Heaven 

/ We call on Your blessings / In the Father, we put our faith 

/ King of the kingdom / Our demons are tremblin’ / Holy 

angels defendin’ / In the Father, we put our faith.” 

Ultimately, it’s where West’s feet take him (and not his 

mouth, or the mouths of his supporters or detractors) that 

will determine whether his faith, in fact, has legs. 

Let’s hope that this time, he’ll use the Gospel to help him 

get there. 

Arsenio Orteza is a freelance music critic and regular contributor 

to WORLD magazine. 


THE CRUX 

BY HEATHER KING 

In this place Christ 

wants to be born 

“Now he comes to be born in the narrowness 

of our lives, to be incarnate in 

us, to give his love to the world through 

us, through our flesh and blood. That 

is one meaning of the Incarnation. 

The reason why we are where we are 

this Christmas, in this house, family, 

office, workroom, hospital, or camp, 

is because it is here in this place that 

Christ wants to be born, from here 

that he wants his life to begin again in 

the world. … We did not choose this 

place — Christ has chosen it. We did 

not choose these people — Christ has 

chosen them.” 

— Caryll Houselander, “The Mother 

of Christ” 

I’m not sure I ever chose LA. When 

I moved here in 1990, I was newly 

married. My brother, a contractor 

who lived in the South Bay, had given 

us tickets from Boston as a honeymoon 

gift. He’d offered my carpenter 

husband a job. 

LA was the last place I, a lifelong 

New Englander, ever thought I’d end 

up. Yet bit by bit the place, in all its 

unfathomable, sprawling mystery, 

grew on me. 

I underwent so many dark nights, so 

much searching and suffering here, 

not because LA is an especially harsh 

place; rather, because I’m human, 

that over time the very city came to 

be incorporated into my bones and 

blood, and vice versa. 

In recovery programs, I’d experienced 

the interesting phenomenon 

that I was not healed by people I had 

hand-picked, but by whoever happened 

to walk through the door on 

any given day. 

That rough concept of the Mystical 

Body prepared me well to come into 

the Church, which I did in 1996. So 

did the traits with which I seem to 

have emerged from the womb: my 

love of nature, my propensity for the 

outcast, the hypersensitivity that has 

made for so much pain but also for so 

much consolation and joy. 

All that brought to bear when I was 

asked in 2014 to write this weekly 

arts and culture column for Angelus 

(at that time The Tidings). I’d always 

walked the city, always closely observed 

my neighbors, always befriended 

the flora and fauna of our freeways, 

alleys, deserts, and coast. 

Not in a showy, let’s-start-a-lifestylebrand 

way, but in a way that was very 

much on a par with the Mass: the 

invisible North Star around which my 

days had come to be ordered. From 

the beginning, I had been fascinated 

by the way Mass is both in plain 

sight and hidden from the eyes of the 

world; the perfect intersection of our 

life here on earth and the life that is 

to come. 

It is from the Mass that I have gone 

forth to explore: to walk, drive, take 

the train, and fly; to bring home what 

I’ve seen, heard, and learned; and to 

write this weekly column. 

I’m no longer a wife; I’ve never been 

a mother. But the Church, as the 


Los Angeles. 

Heather King’s articles in The Tidings and Angelus. 

Heather King is a blogger, speaker, and the author of several books. 

MARTIN ADAMS/UNSPLASH TAMARA LONG-GARCÍA/ANGELUS 

Church inevitably does, has found 

a place for me. And not only found 

a place, but showered down gifts, as 

Christ promises “in good measure, 

pressed down, and shaken together, 

and running over.” I get to see the best 

of LA, to talk to its best people, to have 

my faith in humankind restored again 

and again. 

I didn’t choose this job; the job 

chose me. The gift is that I can drive 

anywhere in the city and feel invisibly 

connected to it. 

Say I happen to be in Palos Verdes: 

I remember well the lovely Saturday 

morning I spent at the South Coast 

Botanic Garden and then the gracious 

lady in the office saw the piece and 

sent a thank you note! I’m at noon 

Mass at the cathedral, oh there is Sal 

Soria at the organ who once spared 

me the time for a conversation and, 

talking about music, we both cried. 

I’m in Culver City where, since the 

day several years ago I got to sit down 

and chat with curator David Wilson, 

the Museum of Jurassic Technology 

has retained a special place in my 

heart. 

There are the Little Sisters of the 

Poor in San Pedro, tenderly caring 

for the elderly; and ultramarathoner 

Geoff Cordner running through the 

San Gabriels; and woodworker Sam 

Maloof, though he died in 2009, still 

making chairs in Alta Loma; and 

Marta Becket perpetually dancing at 

the Amargosa Opera House in Death 

Valley. 

Any weekly columnist will tell you: 

we agonize, we lose sleep, we are 

never really at rest. 

But every once in a while, I’ll be at 

some random noon Mass, somewhere 

in the city, and afterward a stray person 

will come up and hesitantly say, 

“Are you Heather? I have to say I just 

love your arts and culture column. 

I really responded to the one about 

(fill in the blank: Pasadena’s Arlington 

Garden, ‘that place in Montecito 

where you went on retreat,’ the Sriracha 

Sauce Tour).” 

That always makes my day, because 

that is Christ coming to be born in the 

narrowness of my tiny, mostly uneventful 

life. That is Christ giving his 

love to the world through me, through 

my flesh and blood.

Angelus News | December 20, 2019 | Vol. 4 No. 43

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