Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Cross, Page 4
Thursday, April 20, 2000
T he past half-century was long ago dubbed,
“The Age of Anxiety.” The horrendous crises
of the first half of the 20th century—two world
wars and the Great Depression, the worst finan
cial crisis in all history—were followed by 50
years characterized by the threat of nuclear anni
hilation, the Cold War, countless hot wars, the
growing disparity between the First and Third
Worlds, the partial collapse of the “Second
World” (the Soviet Empire), the emergence of
new plagues and, to top it off, a technological
revolution that has left us overly well informed
about too many trivial things, even as the level of
our education has declined.
The result is that we know too many “factoids”
but generally lack the wisdom needed to process
them, let alone to make sense of them. So good
are our communications that today’s tragedies are
played out instantaneously on television and over
the Web and we are saturated with gloom and
doom.
The experts, with their endless statistical stud
ies, bombard us with health and safety warnings,
so that it is no wonder that many Americans
report that they are anxious and worried about
their futures and their children’s futures. The
stock market seems to reflect the skittishness of
the society, reacting sometimes bizarrely to eco
nomic indicators and other omens.
Underlying all these worries, though, is the
basic human dread of death. Although—or
because—life expectancy nearly everywhere is
higher than ever, “modem” or ’’post-modem”
people seem to dread death more than did their
forebears, to whom death was inevitable, com
mon-place and often preferable to the woes of
Death, where is your
Rejoice heavenly powers,
sing choirs of angels,
exult all creation around God's throne.
Jesus Christ our King is risen.
Sound the trumpet of salvation.
—Exsultet
earthly life. For us, death remains the uncon
quered enemy, whose presence we try to banish
to the margins, beyond our sight, to disguise cos
metically (“Doesn’t he look natural?”) and even
to deny, cryogenically and otherwise.
But we cannot banish death; hidden though it
sting?”
may be, death is still on the prowl, as long-term
murder and abortion rates attest. No matter how
much medical progress is made, the very nature
of living cells suggest that the Psalmist was
uncannily accurate in describing the human life
span as “three score and ten or four score if we
are strong.”
And so death remains the enemy, an enemy
made more—not less—menacing by being hid
den from our eyes and denied by our psyches.
No human agency or technology will ultimately
triumph over it. We are and will remain mortal.
But rather than encourage us to hide from our
mortality, the Gospel boldly confronts it. As the
Church proclaims the Gospel message anew dur
ing the celebration of the Easter Triduum, she
reminds the world that Jesus Christ, the only Son
of God, who emptied himself to share our hu
manity, “humbled himself and became obedient
unto death, even death on a cross” (Philippians
2:8). The somber details of his Passion are
recounted again on Good Friday and the fact of
his death fully confronted, before his glorious
resurrection is proclaimed at the Easter Vigil:
“Rejoice heavenly powers, sing choirs of angels,
exult all creation around God’s throne: Jesus
Christ our King is risen. Sound the trumpet of
salvation.”
Only in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead is death itself vanquished by the almighty
power of God. The source of our anxiety is re
vealed as impotent: “Death is swallowed up in vic
tory, O death where is your victory? O death,
where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55.)
—DKC
601 E. Liberty St.
Savannah, GA
31401-5196
Two views of financial report
Dear Editor,
I thought the Diocesan Annual Accountability Report 2000 was a good
job; I sent [a letter to] the bishop complimenting him on his letter. The
color adds so much to the report.
This may not have been the first letter from the financial officer; but it is
the first one I remember that I read. Keep up the good work.
Father Tom Peyton
Augusta
Dear Editor,
The annual financial report has now appeared (April 6) in The Southern
Cross with a new name of Annual Accountability Report. A better name
would be the Annual Non-Disclosure Report. The Chancery has traveled a
long way since the days of Bishop Lessard—unfortunately, all in the
wrong direction.
George Hilgartner
Statesboro
In appreciation
Dear Editor,
Thank you for keeping us updated on spiritual opportunities in our area.
Because of The Southern Cross we ha\e been able to attend Catholic
retreats, conferences, etc., in the Southeast. In October, we were able to
attend part of the retreat by the Women from Ireland at Saint James in
Savannah. In February, we attended the attended the Cardinal Newman
Lecture by Dolores Leckey at the Oratory in Rockhill, SC.
It is also good to be informed of happenings in the Catholic Community.
FAX: (912) 238-2339
E-mail:
DClark5735 @ aol.com
It was sad to hear of Father Richard McCormick’s death. He addressed the
most controversial moral issues and his positions were carefully thought
through. He will be missed.
While at the Oratory, I learned of Sister Madonna Kolbenschlag’s death.
I first learned of her work through The Southern Cross.
It is also good to hear of progress and of controversy in our church so
that we can pray for God’s will in all of our actions.
Mili McDermott
Martinez
Thanks from the Holy Father
Bishop J. Kevin Boland has received the following letter from the
Cardinal Secretary of State:
Dear Bishop Boland,
I am writing on behalf of the Holy Father to thank you for the Peter’s
Pence offering of $36,763.65 for the year 1999, kindly forwarded to the
Apostolic Nunciature.
His Holiness is deeply appreciative of this generous support from the
Church in Savannah, and he is well aware of the lively spirit of commu
nion with the See of Peter which it reflects.
In gratitude to the Diocese for this testimony of unity in faith and love,
the Holy Father imparts to you and to the priests, religious and laity his
Apostolic Blessing.
With fraternal good wishes, I remain
+Agostino Cardinal Sodano
Secretary of State
Vatican City
Letters