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Phoenix, Ariz., May 9, 2016 / 03:48 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis has named a new bishop of a Phoenix-based Eastern Catholic eparchy: Bishop John Stephen Pazak, C.Ss.R.

Bishop Pazak, 69, will head the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix, according to a May 7 announcement.

The Pope accepted the resignation of Bishop Gerald Nicholas Dino, the Phoenix eparchy’s previous head. The bishop had reached the age of 75, when all bishops must submit their resignation.

The former head of the eparchy welcomed the appointment of Bishop Pazak.

“I was very happy to hear that Pope Francis has appointed him to this eparchy,” Bishop Dino told CNA May 9. “He’s a very, very gentlemanly person. A very kind, very spiritual, very happy person. Very joyful.”

Bishop Pazak will also act as apostolic administrator of his previous eparchy, the Slovakian Eparchy of Sts. Cyril and Methodius of Toronto. He had served the eparchy since his episcopal ordination in February 2001.

He was born August 13, 1946 in Gary, Indiana, the U.S. bishops’ conference said. He made his first vows as a Redemptorist in September 1965, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1972.

The Holy Mary of Protection of Phoenix eparchy serves the 2,700 Ruthenian Catholics of California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Bishop Dino said the eparchy was founded by descendants of the Ruthenian people, but it is no longer ethnically oriented.

“The main thing that binds our people together is their Byzantine spirituality and Byzantine theology and liturgy,” he said.

The bishop reflected on his time at the eparchy, which he had headed since March 2008.

“I’ve tried my best and God did the rest,” he said. “Whatever I accomplished was really God’s accomplishment, not mine.”

He also credited his priests, saying, “without the priests, a bishop is nothing.”

Saturday marked other changes for Eastern Catholic eparchies in the U.S.

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop John Kudrick, 68, of the Ruthenian Eparchy of Parma. He appointed Archbishop William Skurla of the Ruthenian Archeparchy of Pittsburgh as its apostolic administrator.

The Pope accepted the resignation of Bishop Sarhad Y. Jammo, 75, of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle of San Diego. He named Bishop Shlemon Warduni, curial bishop of the Chaldean Patriarchate of Babylon, to serve as the eparchy’s apostolic administrator.

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Rome, Italy, May 9, 2016 / 04:11 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- No Catholic who wants to take an in-depth look into the faith and the reality of the Church of our time can skip the works of the “Theologian Pope”, Benedict XVI. To really deepen one’s knowledge, or to literally become an expert in all things Joseph Ratzinger, one can begin a new master’s program which began in February of this year. During two semesters at the Patristic Institute Augustinianum in Rome, the program, “Joseph Ratzinger: Studies and Spirituality,” teaches in eight parts the works and spirituality of the emeritus Pope. The program is offered in English and Italian, and one of its professors is Monsignor Florian Kolfhaus, who spoke with CNA about the program.


Msgr. Kolfhaus, you teach students in the Master of Ratzinger Studies program. How did that come about?

Since I was a student in Rome, I’ve known Joseph Ratzinger, and still to this day my contact with him has not broken, but has actually intensified compared to the time of his pontificate, during which I  met with him maybe only once a year. I know the person whose theology this master’s program presents. Furthermore, I have focused on Mariology for many years, which unfortunately has too few theologians devoted to it in the German-speaking world. I think that both are reasons why the Augustinianum – the institute for patristic studies in Rome – asked me to present Ratzinger’s thoughts on Mary. Furthermore another topic is: the Spirit, charisms, and the Church.

For whom is this program intended? Who would enjoy it, or benefit from it?

The program is pertinent to anyone interested in studying theology – regardless of which author someone especially admires. It’s not a “Ratzinger Fan Club,” but rather about joy in the “sacred discipline” that makes an offer to the mind to better understand the faith. Just as there are many spiritualities, so too are there many theologies. Insofar as they don’t contradict doctrine, they are legitimate. The theological “menu” should be abundant, and Joseph Ratzinger can’t be missing from it. The master’s program has proven to be popular among European and American students, but unfortunately there are no German students.

What do the students expect?

The expectations are as varied as the countries of origin and vocations of the students. It is an international program with priests, seminarians, sisters, and laity. They all know that one of the greatest theologians of the 20th century became Pope. They know the documents and speeches from Benedict XVI, but are now interested in what he thought, said, and wrote as a scholar in the decades prior to his papacy. Many search for a solid theology and discover with Ratzinger not only his “favorites” – Augustine and Bonaventure – but also Thomas Aquinas and other great classics. Ratzinger is a brilliant starting point for them.

How is the response thus far? Is the offer catching on?

The offer has been so well received that the lecture hall is filled to the last seat. There are actually two programs – one in English and another in Italian. Both are, so to say, “booked up.” The students want good theology, and “hunger” for texts that offer more than an information-rich, historical-critical analysis. So there is a true “Ratzinger renaissance,” still in the lifetime of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Only a few years after his resignation, not only are important topics being discussed but also theological methods – like the allegorical or typological interpretation of Sacred Scripture – are being enthusiastically rediscovered. I am sure that this master’s program has a future and I would hope that other universities would adopt this program’s curriculum.

For someone who does not want to start a master’s now, but is interested in studying the most important works of Joseph Ratzinger, what works would you recommend?

As a Mariologist, I would of course recommend Daughter Zion. This short work is about the mother of Jesus, but at the same time it is also about the Church. In Mary, the Church can view herself – like looking in a mirror – in order to understand more deeply who she is. The Church is the important theme of Ratzinger, and he always shows that this mystery leads in turn to Christ, whose body is His people on earth. Ratzinger shows in all of his works that no mystery of the faith is isolated from another. Everything forms a harmonious unity, a nexus mysteriorum. Whoever pulls a book with his works off the shelf finds his way from page to page deeper and deeper into the manifold mysterium of the one faith. I also want to recommend the many lectures of Ratzinger, which are relatively short yet all the more dense, as an introduction to the reading.

What meaning does Joseph Ratzinger have for the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council?

Pope Benedict XVI coined the term “hermeneutic of continuity,” which has since been essential for the interpretation of Vatican II. He himself took part in the Council as a theological advisor and knows not only the texts but also their history of development. In his speech to the Chilean bishops in 1988, which is not yet published in the Opera Omnia, he already said that the last council is no “superdogma” that placed everything preceding it in the shadows. How different is the widespread characterization of the council documents as milestones of a “Copernican Revolution.” For decades, an interpretation of the Council as a fraction in the Church has reigned in many places, which has allowed a new chronology beginning with the Council to come into existence. It is one of Ratzinger’s great merits for this to not be followed in the mainstream. That also earned him – as we know – not only friends, but also enemies.

You are a Mariologist. Is Joseph Ratzinger Marian?

Mariology as such is a minor topic in Joseph Ratzinger’s theology. Yet he is absolutely Marian. In his private chapel, there is a wonderful life-size statue of the Patroness of Bavaria, before whom a candle always burns. He once said to the sodality of the Regensburg congregation, “Being Catholic means being Marian.”

 

Translated from German by R. Andrew Krema.

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IMAGE: CNS photo/Greg Shemitz

By Beth Griffin

NEW YORK (CNS) -- On a drizzly gray morning in early May, the bright kitchen at Visitation Mission on Manhattan's East Side was filled with the sound of laughter and the inviting aromas of fresh-cut vegetables and baking cookies as postulants and novices of the Sisters of Life prepared food for themselves and their anticipated guests.

Visitation is the nerve center for the Sisters of Life's material, emotional and spiritual outreach to pregnant women in crisis. The sisters help more than 900 women at the former convent each year, said Sister Magdalene, the congregation's local superior.

The serious work of fulfilling the order's vow to "protect and enhance the sacredness of human life" in all its messy contemporary circumstances is leavened by a joyful attitude nourished through communal prayer throughout the day.

The Sisters of Life is a contemplative and active religious community founded in 1991 by the late Cardinal John J. O'Connor. The original group of eight women has grown to more than 90, and includes 30 postulants and novices in a two-year formation program.

"At the heart of our charism is a focus on the sacredness of all human life and a profound sense of reverence for every human person," said Sister Mary Elizabeth, the order's vicar general.

"Cardinal O'Connor often said every person reveals one facet of God that no one else will, and the loss of even one human life is incomparable," she said.

"One of the reasons for the joy in the community is we believe each person has some beautiful, unique goodness and we have the joy of discovering that in them and reflecting it back so she has the experience of her own dignity, goodness and strength," Sister Mary Elizabeth said. "That person becomes a gift to us in our recognizing her for who she is. She reveals to us the splendor and beauty of God."

Pregnant women hear about Visitation Mission from friends, former clients, parish priests, pregnancy care centers and other religious orders. The Sisters of Life do not advertise.

On a typical day, Sister Magdalene said, members of the order respond to phone messages, emails and texts, conduct three or four intake interviews with pregnant women, and make scores of supportive phone calls from quiet cubicles on the mission's upper floors.

"Almost all of us are on the phones all day. We really believe each woman is sent to us by God to guide her. He has an amazing plan for them and we're supposed to be the instruments to bring them home to God," Sister Magdalene said.

In the calls and interviews the sisters try to create an atmosphere to let women "empty their bucket, describe their hopes and dreams and move from a place of chaos to inner peace," she said.

Self-motivated women who need a home and can live with other people may be offered one of seven spots at the congregation's Holy Respite, a residence across town at Sacred Heart Convent on West 51st Street. Pregnant women and new mothers are welcome to stay at Holy Respite until their babies are a year old. They are encouraged to rest, bond with their children, and continue their education or work as they prepare to move on.

Sister Catherine, the local superior at Holy Respite, said the order has hosted 140 women since the doors opened 17 years ago. The refrigerator in the communal kitchen is covered with photos of children whose mothers return to visit. One of the earliest infant guests returned as a volunteer to serve her confirmation community service hours.

Strollers line the hallway and happy gurgles punctuate the buzz in the community room. Guests prepare their own breakfast and lunch, but eat dinner with one another and the sisters. They are invited, but not required, to join the sisters in communal prayer, which include Mass, Holy Hour, rosary and vespers.

While a most of the women who seek help are Catholic, many are not. The congregation welcomes women of all faiths and none.

At Holy Respite, Rohini Brijlall, who was raised in the Hindu tradition, said her belief in God is supported by "all the little miracles that were placed on my journey." As her son, Zakarya, watched from his perch on Sister Catherine's lap, Rohini described how relatives dropped her off at an abortion clinic for a procedure she did not want to undergo. When she returned home pregnant, she was no longer welcome.

She lived with the Missionaries of Charity and commuted to work as an IT specialist for Goodwill while the baby's father enrolled in a training program for electricians and lived at home. The day after she relocated to Holy Respite, she went into early labor. The sisters drove her to the hospital and stayed with her for the birth of her son.

Rohini said she drew strength from the Divine Mercy image one of the sisters gave her and is considering baptism into the Catholic faith. Zakarya's father visits every day. His parents, who initially discounted the relationship, are now supportive and the couple sees marriage in the future.

For Claudia Gutierrez and her daughter Esther, Holy Respite is "a blessing from God. I asked for a place to live for my baby and me. God knew I would need help," she said.

Gutierrez knew the Sisters of Life had a retreat center in Stamford, Connecticut, but had never visited. A religious sister put her in touch with the congregation and when she had to move from a relative's home late in her pregnancy, she came to Holy Respite. Esther was hospitalized for more than two months after birth with palate and jaw issues, now corrected. The sisters were supportive and also hosted Claudia's mother who came from the Dominican Republic for their first reunion in 12 years.

"The Sisters of Life is the best thing that happened to me," she said. "I'm more secure and have more peace in my heart."

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