Articles by Archbishop Henry J. Mansell
Crossroads for the United States
Aug 23, 2012 / 00:00 amI wrote my column for the July issue of The Catholic Transcript a few hours after the decision of the Supreme Court was announced on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. What I said then by way of initial observations continues to be true.As I indicated at that time, freedom of religion was not specifically addressed in the wording of the decision. It is accurate to state that the 22 federal court cases filed by 43 individuals and Catholic organizations against the mandates imposed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services continue to move forward.The Court did not rule on the constitutionality of forcing people and insurance programs to pay for surgical sterilizations, contraception, and abortion inducing drugs. The rights of religious liberty and freedom of conscience are involved here.It is important to note that Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion, “Even if the taxing power enables Congress to impose a tax on non-obtainable health insurance, any tax must still comply with other requirements in the Constitution.”Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writing also for the majority, went on to state, “Other provisions of the Constitution also check congressional overreaching. A mandate to purchase a particular product would be unconstitutional if, for example, the edict impermissibly abridged the freedom of speech, interfered with the free exercise of religion, or infringed on a liberty interest protected by the Due Process Clause.”It is clear that the Health and Human Services mandate must continue to be challenged. It does explicitly interfere with the free exercise of religion by forcing religious organizations to violate their religious beliefs.Government Administration officials continue to define religious institutions as entities that hire and serve mostly people of their own religion. They would attempt to nullify, therefore, the religious exemptions of Catholic Charities, universities, colleges, high schools, elementary schools, hospitals, nursing homes, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, etc. They fail to understand that we sponsor these institutions, serving a wide variety of people, precisely because we are Catholic.It is encouraging to report that some progress apparently is being developed. Discussions with representatives from Congress are indicating more appreciation for the importance of religious freedom and freedom of conscience in our laws and mandates.The threats to religious freedom are ominous, calling for the active involvement of all of us. It is especially critical that we continue to contact those in public office, and those running for office, with our convictions on these matters. Religious freedom is a fundamental pillar of our society. We must be passionate in its support and stand forcefully against its erosion.As you know, we are sending out weekly bulletins to our parishes for their publication. We are addressing the issues on television and radio, and our Archdiocesan website is covering the concerns carefully. Of course, The Catholic Transcript is steadfast in its coverage and advocacy.The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is most supportive in its “Text Freedom” work. If you text the word FREEDOM (or LIBERTAD in Spanish) to 377377 on your mobile devices, you will receive timely information and alerts for helpful action.These are momentous days for our country and our Church, a crossroads for the United States. Reprinted with permission from the Catholic Transcript, official newspaper for the diocese of Hartford.
Fundamental Peril
Jun 14, 2012 / 00:00 amThe warm days of May became warmer as the month moved on, and we are not talking about the weather temperatures. The focus continues to highlight Religious Liberty, enshrined in our Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791, and reverenced as the marquis issue in the history of our country to this day.
The Hope of Resurrection Here and Beyond
Apr 19, 2012 / 00:00 amThe recent visits by Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico and Cuba were opportunities for him to speak to the hearts of people in both countries and by communication technology to people across the globe. He underscored the consummate importance of our communion with God. In Jesus Christ we have our freedom, in Jesus Christ we have our truth.Watching the Holy Father celebrate Mass in León, Mexico, inevitably stirred up searing memories for people in Mexico and elsewhere. From 1926 to 1929 some 90,000 Catholics were killed in that area, as they rebelled against the secular and anti-Church government of the time. Those martyrs were called Cristeros, and their call was, often as they were being killed by firing squads, “Viva Cristo Rey,” in English, “Long Live Christ the King.”The Knights of Columbus Museum in New Haven features stirring depictions of these heroes as they were killed. The statue of Christ the King, seen on the mountain overlooking the Mass of the Pope, with hundreds of thousands participating, is a later rendition of the monument. The original one was destroyed by the enemies of Christianity at the time.Some background may be helpful here. In 1985 Mexico City was heavily damaged by a severe earthquake. In its aftermath the Catholic Church in the United States took up a collection to assist in the recovery. Some $20 million were raised. It was sent to the Catholic Church in Mexico, but the Mexican government placed strictures on the spending of the money. It could not be used for so called Church and pastoral services, but only for secular purposes: housing, water services, electrical supplies, transportation help, etc. The Catholic Church established secular agencies to provide these services.The Church did the work so effectively that the government allowed it to expand its work, involving assistance from other countries as well. It was in this context that the government declared the Church to be legal in the early 1990s. It had been declared illegal in 1860 and suffered terrible atrocities in various parts of the country over the generations as a result. Graham Greene’s novel, "The Power and the Glory," written in 1938, depicts the atmosphere dramatically, highlighting the persecution of priests. Yet there is resurrection. The last three paragraphs narrate the arrival of a new priest.In the midst of persecution, martyrdom, and natural disasters, the Church came to know more clearly its relationship with Jesus and its fundamental identity. Following the suffering and death of Jesus, and His Resurrection, its people came to know more profoundly the incarnation, death, and resurrection of their own lives and their call to be of service to others.And so the story of death and resurrection continue. We all experience this reality in our celebration of Holy Week: Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the Chrism Mass on Tuesday, in which our priests renew their commitment, the sacramental joy of Holy Thursday, the sacred services of Good Friday, the wonder of Resurrection in the Easter Vigil and the Masses of Easter.At the same time we are beset by a hostile government attitude, given the edict on health care insurance made on January 20th by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and confirmed with an inadequate “accommodation” by President Barack Obama on February 10. Employers, including Catholic and other religious employers, would still have to provide insurance for surgical sterilization, contraception, and drugs that would induce abortions. They say that an exemption would apply to parishes and schools which, in our case, would teach only Catholic children. Other institutions, e.g. hospitals, colleges, universities, Catholic Charities, nursing homes, and some schools might have insurance companies cover the costs. What they neglected to see was that most of these institutions are self-insured. We would, therefore, be paying for services that are contrary to our basic beliefs.What is especially startling is that government is attempting to define religion in confining it to parishes and Catholic schools. What they do not seem to understand is that these other services are expressions of our fundamental religious convictions and practices. We affirm again that after government, the Catholic Church in Connecticut and many other states is the largest provider of educational services, social services, and medical services. These services express who we are as a religious people before God and our neighbor. Whether it is housing and water services in Mexico or food and medical services in the United States, the sources in our case are the religious commitments of our people. Are government officials, by their own narrow definition of Church, telling us by edict and mandate to abandon these services and commitments? Are they defining religion for us?The issue is clearly that of religious liberty. We must all continue to fight for that fundamental right, basic in the history of our country. We must always work for resurrection to overcome the threat of death.Happy Easter!
Family Dinner
Sep 22, 2011 / 00:00 amWe are reminded by the "Catechism of the Catholic Church" that the family is the original cell of social life. At the same time we realize the tremendous challenges that families face in meeting the challenges of every day. It is helpful to know, nonetheless, of the notable progress which families are achieving on a regular basis.Some outstanding facts have been emerging. Renowned surveys over the past sixteen years--for example, those sponsored by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University--find that the more often children have dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink, or use drugs, and that parental engagement fostered around the dinner table is one of the most potent tools to help parents raise healthy, drug-free children.The statement is made clearly and simply: frequent family dinners make a difference.The evidence in these surveys shows tellingly that compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week), those who have infrequent dinners (fewer than three per week) are twice as likely to use tobacco, nearly twice as likely to use alcohol, and one and a half times likelier to use marijuana.During these years there is consistent evidence that family dinners help to make a significant difference in academic performance and weekly attendance at religious services.One way to bring attention to this outstanding phenomenon is a national Family Day--A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children. It is promoted every year by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse and takes place on the fourth Monday of September, this year, September 26.While it is possible for families to join together for this event, it is not necessary. The important thing is for the family to be together and to recognize the value of doing this frequently during every week.We all know that objections will come forward. What about one parent families? They celebrate as a family. How do we handle our social, academic, athletic, and work appointments? We may have to schedule another meal as the family get together. How do we address the technological intrusions? Shut them off during the meal. No texting of other friends at that time. The important fact is that you are all there.There is no extra cost involved. The long term dividends your family will receive will be the profound spiritual and emotional return on your personal investment. Many of you of course are already experiencing these rewards from family dinners.We in the Archdiocese of Hartford will be participating in the preparations for people to celebrate Family Day. ...many preparations are being made but we do not wish to make this a complicated enterprise. It is important to understand that we all are relational, to one another and to God. We are the family of the Church and we celebrate that reality especially in the Eucharist, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The awareness of this reality brings our lives to greater completion.As we discuss over the table the happy events of our day and the challenges we face, we must keep in mind, as the first Christians did in the Sacred Scriptures, those who do not have sufficient means to provide a full meal. As we continue to enrich our lives, we cannot ever lose that awareness.May our Family Dinner be increasingly blessed by God’s love and help us to appreciate more acutely the fullness of our lives.Reprinted with permission from the Catholic Transcript.
Physician-assisted suicide
Jul 21, 2011 / 00:00 amPhysician-assisted suicide was legalized in the State of Oregon in 1994. While the number of cases began to grow gradually, not enough attention was given to the issue around the United States. In 1997 the United States Supreme Court rejected the idea that there is a constitutional right to assisted suicide. Our concern must continue to develop.In recent years support for physician-assisted suicide has grown. The State of Washington passed a law in its favor in 2008. Developments in other parts of the United States, in the West and here in New England, are taking place. In this context it is important to recognize the statement against physician-assisted suicide which was passed, by a vote of 191-1, by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops this past month. The document is titled, "To Live Each Day with Dignity: A Statement on Physician-Assisted Suicide."The fundamental principles involved call for attention. We believe that life is the most basic gift of a loving God, a gift over which we have supervision but not absolute dominion. The Second Vatican Council declared, “Euthanasia and willful suicide are offenses against life itself which poison civilization; they debase the perpetrators more than the victims and militate against the honor of the Creator” (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, n. 27).The founders of our country articulated this principle in the Declaration of Independence, when they indicated that all are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them being the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.We generally react with a pronounced hostility when we hear the word “euthanasia.” Some have the custom today, therefore, of camouflaging that reality by calling it physician-assisted suicide. They would attempt to describe the action as a medical procedure. No question about it, the procedure is euthanasia.The Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 2277) states very clearly, “Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons. It is morally unacceptable. Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator. The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded.”The habit of changing vocabulary is once again in vogue. As the Catholic Bishops state, the organization leading the campaign for physician-assisted suicide, the Hemlock Society, whose very name reminded people of the harsh reality of death by poison, has become “Compassion and Choices.” The change of name does not mitigate the reality involved. As we recall, hemlock is a draft prepared from a poisonous plant, reportedly the poison given to Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher.The practice of physician-assisted suicide becomes convincingly irresponsible as we see the numbers grow. They are increasing in Oregon and Washington. Even more telling is the experience in Holland, which has endorsed the practice for more than 30 years. As is stated by the Catholic Bishops, “Dutch doctors, who once limited euthanasia to terminally ill patients, now provide lethal drugs to people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, mental illness, and even melancholy.”Notice should be taken as well from reports in Holland that indicate the high numbers of victims of euthanasia, the collaboration of doctors and heirs in facilitating euthanasia, and the ever larger numbers of people who are being put to death despite their opposition to euthanasia.We are called to be leaders in the effort to defend and uphold the principle that each of us has a right to live with dignity through every day of our lives, as the Bishops state. We also understand, as the Catechism tells us, that “Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of ‘over-zealous’ treatment. The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means” (n. 2278-2279).The highest canons of civilization call us to assist the sick, the vulnerable, and the dying with our attention, support, and compassion. As the Bishops say, “Compassion does not put lethal drugs in their hands and abandon them to their suicidal impulses, or to the self-serving motives of others who may want them dead.”Once again we are called to be messengers of the Gospel of Life.Reprinted with permission from the Catholic Transcript.
A Model for Our Times
Aug 12, 2010 / 00:00 amWe celebrate this month the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, August 26, 1910. She lifted hearts across the world by bringing God’s love for humanity, especially for the poorest of the poor. She was the spouse of Jesus Christ for all eternity, with the mission to quench His thirst for love and for souls.Her love for Jesus Christ and for the poor radiated. She founded the Missionaries of Charity Sisters in 1948, the Missionaries of Charity Brothers in 1963, the Contemplative Sisters in 1979, and the Missionaries of Charity Fathers in 1984.I was privileged to know Mother Teresa personally. One day in the late 1980’s, when I was Chancellor of the Archdiocese of New York, she telephoned me and said she needed three visas for her Sisters who were leaving the United States that night on mission. I indicated that this was not an easy thing to accomplish, particularly in the summer when so many people were seeking visas. Mother was aware that I knew people in the visa office, so she just said, “I will leave this in the hands of Our Blessed Lady.” When I called the office with the request, the woman answered me with the question, “Do you know how many people we are trying to help right now?” I said, “Yes, the line is around the block, but this is not for me, it is for Mother Teresa.” Her answer was clear, “Well, for Mother Teresa I will do it, but you owe.”Another time Mother Teresa came to the New York Catholic Center asking to speak with Cardinal O’Connor. She was told that he was over in his residence and would not be able to see her at that time. Again she said, “I will put that in the hands of Our Blessed Lady,” and went over to the residence. The woman who answered the door indicated that the Cardinal was having lunch with the priests celebrating their 75th birthday that year. Mother Teresa walked right by her and into the dining room, spoke with the Cardinal and, as always, received a positive answer to her request. Then each of the priests present had individual photos taken of themselves with Mother Teresa. It was the luncheon of the year.When Mother Teresa came to New York City she frequently stayed at the Missionaries of Charity Convent in Saint Joseph’s Parish in Central Harlem. I would occasionally celebrate Mass for Mother and the Sisters on those occasions. You would arrive at the Convent before 6:00 a.m., go into the Chapel and find Mother Teresa on her knees on the cold wooden floor (no kneelers), where she had already been kneeling for about an hour. Her participation at the Mass was unforgettable. After Mass she would talk with a smile about her missions in New York and around the world. I remember one day when she spoke about her plans to establish a mission in China. Her Sisters at that time numbered about 4,000 and were serving in 610 foundations in 123 countries across the world. Her pattern was consistently the same: prayer, Mass, the rosary, and then on to the work of the day.Mother Teresa believed that the interior must be the main power of the exterior. She went forth, and she called her Missionaries to go forward, as a mixture of Martha and Mary from the Gospel. Action and contemplation must be combined. With daunting courage and devastating hard work she cared for the everyday needs of the economically poor, the weak, and the dying. One of her ways of praying was to bring to mind the faces of the people she would meet and to remember them to Jesus. Pope John Paul II described her service when he said, “The mystery of human suffering meets the mystery of faith and love.” People might come to see God in her love for them.In recent years it has come to light that Mother Teresa experienced an excruciating darkness and loneliness in her life of prayer and service. Father Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C., describes this well in his book, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light. She spoke about the agony of this darkness over the years with her spiritual directors. At times it seemed to her that everything was dead. She did not feel the presence of God, but she surrendered to His work within her soul. How much reassurance she provides for people facing similar situations today.Mother Teresa, nonetheless, was blessed with an intense experience of union with God, possibly approaching ecstasy, in 1946 and 1947, before founding the Missionaries of Charity. She described it as a “time of so much union – love – trust – prayer – sacrifice.” She proceeded to write later that “the sweetness and consolation and union of those six months passed but too soon.” She wrote subsequently of an encouraging experience of union with God in October 1958, “There and then disappeared that long darkness, that pain of loss – of loneliness – of that strange suffering for ten years. Today my soul is filled with love, with joy untold – with an unbroken union of love.”That consolation lasted for a short time. Yet she could go forward with undoubting faith and dedicated love bringing people to God and service to those who were seemingly abandoned. She grew in the strong conviction that this darkness and loneliness united her with Jesus in His passion and crucifixion, in His darkness and loneliness. She saw it as fundamental to her call of bringing the light of Christ to the world.Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997. She was beatified on October 19, 2003. Her patron saint, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, had stated that she would spend her heaven continuing to do good on earth. Mother Teresa made a similar commitment, “to light the light of those in darkness on earth.”Our prayers to Blessed Mother Teresa continue to ask her to intercede for an expanding light of Christ in our lives, that we might be more effective servants of God and bring about better experiences of Church.Reprinted with permission from the Catholic Transcript.
Statute of limitations
May 6, 2010 / 00:00 amAs I write this column on April 30, I have just heard that H.B. 5473 has been withdrawn at the State legislature. This is the bill that would have extended retroactively for an indefinite period of time the statute of limitations on sexual abuse of minors in the State of Connecticut. Withdrawal of the bill is good public policy for the State of Connecticut. I am deeply grateful to all of you who helped with advocacy in this regard.Let it be known nonetheless that we continue to go forward with sincere concern and effective action for alleged victims of sexual abuse.Connecticut already has the longest retroactive statute of limitations in the United States: 30 years after a person reaches the age of 18. Various columnists and reporters have conveyed mistaken information about this, so it may be helpful to clarify matters.The current statute of limitations in Connecticut applicable to child sexual abuse claims requires that a lawsuit be instituted within 30 years of the age that the claimant reaches the age of majority. In other words, a person currently has until his or her 48th birthday to bring a lawsuit based on a claim of sexual abuse that occurred in his or her youth. H.B. 5473 would have allowed a person to bring a lawsuit no matter when the abuse was claimed to have occurred, even if it was 50, 60, or 70 years ago, if another claimant had previously brought suit involving that alleged abuser. The problem with allowing such a long period of time to bring lawsuits is that often the alleged abuser and witnesses have died, and records have been destroyed, all of which make it very difficult to defend against such a claim.Some columnists and reporters have written that a handful of other states, including Alaska, Delaware, Maine, and Florida, have abolished their statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse. Yes, they did, but they did it prospectively, in other words, for future cases, not retroactively, as H.B. 5473 would have done. Florida’s recent legislation takes effect July 1, 2010, for future claims. Various writers have failed repeatedly to report this highly important distinction.Notice should also be made that it is extremely difficult to bring a suit claiming sexual abuse of a minor against State institutions or municipalities. Suits are basically not effective against public schools in claims relating to teachers and coaches, foster parents in State programs, and staff members in juvenile detention facilities. The occurrences of these events in the public sector continue to be frequent, but when was the last time you heard of a lawsuit being filed against a public institution in their regard? Yet H.B. 5473 would have enabled suits against the Catholic Church and other non-public entities for alleged conduct going back 50, 60, or 70 years. If such were the situation involving the public entities, many public school boards and the State would go bankrupt. Reliance on sovereign immunity and governmental immunity is effective in preventing suits against government agencies. Obviously, the justice here is highly uneven.The Catholic Church in Connecticut has established strong policies and practices to prevent sexual abuse of minors. Every year, the Archdiocese of Hartford, the Diocese of Bridgeport, and the Diocese of Norwich receive a report on an annual audit conducted by investigators who are mostly former FBI agents working on behalf of the National Review Board, showing compliance with 100 percent of the extensive requirements of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Background checks on all people – staff and volunteers – working with youngsters; conferences and workshops for adults and youngsters, and diocesan review committees are part of the well-developed programs in place. It is interesting to note that various observers, Catholic and otherwise, have stated that the Catholic Church today is the safest place for youngsters.As I have written and stated many times, we regard sexual abuse of minors as a heinous act, a heart-sickening event, a grievous sin, and a serious crime.We must continue our work to make sure that our efforts to prevent it continue to be effective. We will, at the same time, make every effort in good faith to assist victims in the past with all the means at our disposal.Reprinted with permission from the Catholic Transcript.
Light of the season
Mar 4, 2010 / 00:00 amThe First Sunday of Lent, Feb. 21 this year, was a brilliant day. In a cloudless sky, the sun shone in all of its splendor through the magnificent stained glass windows of St. Joseph’s Cathedral for our Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion. People were seated throughout the cathedral to pray for and encourage our catechumens (those preparing to receive the sacraments of Baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist at the Easter Vigil) and our candidates (those preparing to make their Profession of Faith and receive the sacraments of confirmation and the Eucharist at the Vigil).Jean Barillet, the French artist who developed the windows, could not have imagined a more spectacular scene. As we sang the opening hymn, “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee,” by Ludwig van Beethoven, the radiant colors played out over the congregation. The first verse of the hymn sings beautifully, “Fill us with the light of day.”Our Archdiocese is richly blessed with people who trace their ancestries to countries all over the world. The stained glass illuminated that stunning communion. Much more than exterior lighting was at work; the Holy Spirit was clearly lifting our souls. The convictions expressed in the prayers, the hymns, and the responses gave splendid evidence of the emotions felt in the celebration.“Christ Be Our Light” was a telling hymn for the celebration. The windows of the cathedral play out that theme. The rear windows on the east side portray shepherds and kings bringing gifts to the Infant Jesus, Simeon welcoming him to the Temple, and Jesus speaking in the Temple at the age of 12. Light begins to emerge in those windows and consequently is developed in other windows depicting Jesus teaching, preaching, and working miracles. The light becomes dramatic in the west windows up front, portraying Jesus instituting the Eucharist at the Last Supper and then dying on the Cross to effect our salvation.The triumph of Jesus as Light and Lord is seen in the Resurrection on the east front windows: Jesus appearing to Peter and John, to Mary Magdalene, and to the Apostles Easter night.Through the journey of our catechumens through Lent to Easter, we are all reminded of our commitment to Jesus our Light. As the catechumens receive through this sacred season the Creed, the Bible, the Our Father, and the Commandments, we renew our own appreciation for these gifts of earth-shaking value.In our pilgrimage from winter to spring, we understand the importance of fundamentals. We have seen recently in the Winter Olympics the incredible skills of athletes on the ice and in the snow; we observe major league baseball players in spring training, the abilities of college basketball players preparing for the “Final Four,” the talents of virtuosi preparing for musical concerts. All of these developments are possible because of concentration on fundamentals.The fundamental exercises of the spiritual life are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. When all is said and done, Lent is the time for more intensive return to the basics. The word “Lent” comes from the Anglo Saxon word “lencten,” meaning “spring.” Lent is our springtime of our souls. Public and private prayer, particularly our participation in the sacrament of penance and in the celebration of the Eucharist, the religious act of fasting, and the practice of almsgiving are central to following Jesus Christ. We all have dreams, visions, and aspirations. In God’s love, it is behavior which enables us to follow the Lord to Easter.I take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful ways you undertake the exercises of Lent. Even before Lent began, you contributed $1,085,296 to Catholic Relief Services for the relief of the victims of the horrific earthquake in Haiti. Thirty-eight parishes have not yet made their reports, but the generosity is already impressively clear.It is very early for the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 2010, but the donations up to now are evidence of significant commitment. The total is $1,447,872, which is $310,612 ahead of the amount at this time last year. March is a critically important month for the Appeal. You have my profound gratitude for the tremendous ways you meet the needs of the Archdiocese and those who otherwise might fall through the cracks without the help of the Appeal.We continue to move forward as a family of faith. We pray for and support the catechumens and candidates who are preparing to become full members of the Catholic Church at Easter. Our prayers, fasting, and almsgiving are roots for our lives, developing our character as we are more strongly united with Jesus Christ Our Lord.The windows of the cathedral follow the Lord to Easter. They also illumine our eyes as windows of our souls. Pope Benedict XVI says in his Lenten Message this year, “Because people are created in God’s image, they not only need food, water, shelter, and jobs; they need God and they need love.”We follow the light and love of the Lord. A favorite expression of Pope John Paul II was that of Saint John of the Cross, “In the twilight of our lives we will be judged on love.” May Lent be a season of special blessings in God’s love for all of us. Thank you for sharing this wondrous communion in God’s light. Bishop Mansell's column originally appeared the Catholic Transcript Online of the Catholic Diocese of Hartford.
Health care reform
Sep 17, 2009 / 00:00 amFor many months, in fact, for many years, our country has been focused on the need for national health care reform legislation. In the heat of the current debate, the attention at times seems to be directed more to payment reform than to health reform. In every instance, fundamental issues are at stake.
Year for Priests
Jul 16, 2009 / 00:00 amWe celebrated his Mass of Christian Burial on June 4, at Our Lady of Fatima Church. A large number of priests was present, both former students and others who admired him over the decades. There was a substantial representation of lay people as well, from Meriden, Yalesville, and other parts of the Archdiocese. After Mass, I had the opportunity to talk with people on the sidewalk outside of the church. Their recollections of Father Daily were heartwarming. One man said poignantly, "He was there for me 35 years ago when I needed help, so I am here for him today."
Pope Pius XII
Jun 11, 2009 / 00:00 amThe recent visit by Pope Benedict XVI to Jordan, Israel, and the Palestine territories has brought renewed focus on Pope Pius XII and his support for the Jewish people in the face of Nazi atrocities.