Category : Pope Francis

IPS co-hosts “Integrity and Accountability in the Catholic Church”

Close to 90 people gathered at Regents Hall in Lewis Towers or joined in online this past October 11th to participate in a panel-led discussion on “Integrity and Accountability in the Catholic Church”.

IPS Dean Schmisek noted, “Many attendees engaged in a meaningful way with the panelists, who offered insightful analysis and thought-provoking comments. One of the participants said it felt as though the panelists were offering ‘ministry’ to those in the audience.”

The evening was a culmination of a joint effort from IPS, Dr. Murphy and the Hank Center, and Jocelyn Cheng from Alumni Relations.  Rebecca Weller was also on hand as a resource and advocate.

To view photos from the evening, go to: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmpmKV9s.

To view video of the evening, go to: https://bit.ly/2NL81Wr.

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Below are Dean Schmisek’s opening remarks:

Welcome to Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus. My name is Dr. Brian Schmisek, Dean of the Institute of Pastoral Studies here. On behalf of our Institute and Dr. Michael Murphy, Director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage, tonight’s co-sponsor of the event with us, I thank you for being here.
Welcome to Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus. My name is Dr. Brian Schmisek, Dean of the Institute of Pastoral Studies here. On behalf of our Institute and Dr. Michael Murphy, Director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage, tonight’s co-sponsor of the event with us, I thank you for being here.
We have assembled a distinguished panel to discuss the topic “Integrity and Accountability in the Catholic Church.” With more and more revelations forthcoming in the news, we consider it part of our mission and duty as a Jesuit Catholic University to provide this forum in an academic setting.
Let me say at the outset that we will be discussing some sensitive topics. With statistics telling us that one in three women and one in six men will have experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime,  it is likely that there are some here tonight who have had this happen to them. This is a tragedy and our sympathies go out to you.
We also have with us tonight Rebecca Weller, an advocate who can provide support and resources for anyone that feels upset or triggered by the subject matter. Rebecca also has literature and other handouts available.
I should also mention that this event is being live-cast and recorded. If you have a comment or question for our panel, but are not comfortable being on camera you can wait until after we conclude at 8:30 to come up and ask your question or make your comment.
So with that, let me introduce our panel. Each will speak for about 10-15 minutes from their own perspective. After each has spoken, I’ll moderate the discussion, and Dr. Murphy will have a roving microphone. We will conclude at 8:30.
Justice Anne Burke has served on the Illinois Supreme Court since 2006. Before that, she served as a Justice on the Illinois Court of Appeals since 1995. She is a founder of the Special Olympics in 1968. She also was one of the first members appointed to the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People and served on that board from 2002 – 2004.
Dr. Rick Gaillardetz is The Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology and Chair of the Department of Theology at Boston College. He served as president of the Catholic Theological Society of America in 2013-14, the largest professional association of Catholic theologians in the world with over 1400 members. He is a noted expert on ecclesiology and his books include a revised and expanded edition of By What Authority? Foundations for Understanding Authority in the Church, published by Liturgical Press this year.
Dr. Jennifer Haselberger holds a Ph.D. from the University of London in England, and a licentiate in canon law from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. She served as the Chancellor for Canonical Affairs in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul until April of 2013, when she resigned in protest of the Archdiocese’s handling of sexual misconduct by clergy. That same year she was selected as the Person of the Year, by the National Catholic Reporter. The following year she received the Michael J. Ehrlichmann Public Service Award from the Minnesota Association of Justice and the Trivison Award for demonstrating visionary leadership in the Catholic Church.
We are so pleased to have these distinguished panelists here to share their thoughts.

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To learn more about IPS, go to https://www.luc.edu/ips/.
For those interested in applying to IPS, go to https://gpem.luc.edu/apply/.

IPS Professor Speaks About Experience at White House and the Pope’s Address

IPS Professor Marian Diaz made a quick trip to Washington, D.C. with her husband Miguel Diaz who is the former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and is currently The John Courtney Murray University Chair in Public Service at Loyola’s Hank Center.

“We were at the event where the Holy Father was received by the President at the White House. That was very exciting.”

Very exciting, but very early. “We had to be there bright and early Wednesday morning, but it was very well organized going through security and the weather was fantastic.”

IPS Professor Marian Diaz and her husband Miguel Diaz,  former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
IPS Professor Marian Diaz and her husband Miguel Diaz

After waiting for a few hours for the Pope to arrive, the site of his vehicle driving up was something to see, recalls Marian. “I was aware that he was riding in a Fiat because of his arrival the day before at the air force base, but seeing that Fiat pull into the drive way of the White House was just stunning. The enormous black security cars around it just dwarfed it.”

The ceremony itself was very formal. There was not a big processional, but there were a number of bishops, cardinals, the current Ambassador to the Holy See, the Vice President and other VIPs in attendance. The anthems for the Holy See and the U.S. were played and all U.S. armed forces were represented.

President Obama spoke first followed by Pope Francis. Upon conclusion, they made their way to the balcony of the White House and waved to the throng of people.

“It was just exciting to hear the Holy father’s remarks and the President’s remarks and have them be so well aligned in terms of issues they were addressing. Having worked at the nexus of the U.S. administration and the administration of the Holy See for so long, I’m just really happy to see them working together in a more constructive way on concerns we have in common.”

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Marian has done a lot of work on Laudato Si’, the encyclical on the environment, so she was pleased with what she heard about uniting the environment and social issues. Rather than keeping labor, private property, the basic rights of humanity, etc. separated, Pope Francis is “now showcasing all these issues and economic issues in a package which also considers our environment,” noted Marian. “He’s calling us to respond to the cries of suffering creation around us and to really respond to that, but not in a way that the issues remain isolated. He wants these to all be seen as human issues in developing what he calls an integral ecology. There’s a great urgency that I think he brings to these questions, along with our president and I just hope we will have some constructive actions moving forward.”

Years ago, Marian had a realization that environmental issues had to be addressed now and the sooner, the better.

“I really agree with the line ‘we can’t leave it until the next generation.’ I had this moment when my kids were younger and I was driving them to school, listening to another news program about the environment and I said to them, ‘kids this is the issue for your generation.’ Then I realized, no that’s wrong. This has to be the issue for my generation. It has to be addressed now. We just can’t wait.”

Moving forward, “I’ve seen a change in our government’s approach in dealing with these issues and also in terms of the Holy See, in the way that they see the need to partner with other religious entities, with secular society and with other governments in coming to a solutions for these problems. So I see them more open to collaborating and partnering and that’s really encouraging.”

Pope Francis and President Obama on the front lawn of the White House
Pope Francis and President Obama on the front lawn of the White House

Marian went on to discuss the excitement and anticipation that follows the Pope wherever he goes.

“At the White House itself, the crowds were controlled and everything was structured, but you could tell that people really wanted to be there. You could definitely feel the energy and the excitement.”

Pope Francis is frequently called the people’s Pope and is loved by many people even those outside of the Catholic faith. Marian sheds some light on why she thinks that is.

“His first Apostolic Exhortation is called Evangelic Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel. He’s happy! He exudes joy and he encounters people gladly and happily,” Marian exclaimed. “And you have the sense that when he encounters people one on one, he wants to be present to them.”

People appreciate when they feel seen, heard and acknowledged and Pope Francis knows how to engage with people.

“It doesn’t mean everybody is going to agree with him on everything, but when someone’s there that you feel you could relate to and that you are heard, it makes a big difference,” said Marian.

While in D.C., Marian also noticed an uplift in the hopes and spirits of those who fight for social justice.

“For people who work on justice issues, he’s really reinvigorating them by giving them new hope and new energy. People who have worked on issues year in and year out… and, given the tone in Washington and the lack of progress, I can just imagine how easy it would be to give up. His presence, his message, his authority and his openness I think, hopefully, will energize Washington and people to really start making progress.”

 

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