Jan. 24 ad limina report from Archbishop Aymond

January 24, 2012

(Discussions on women religious, new evangelization, laity, Henriette Delille and possible John Paul II exhibit in New Orleans) 

Archbishop Gregory Aymond is in Rome for an ad limina visit with Pope Benedict XVI and Vatican officials. In a telephone interview with the Clarion Herald, he summarized his activities on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

            How did your day go?

            The first visit we had was to the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life.

This particular congregation – or dicastery – oversees and collaborates with the women and men religious throughout the world. We had a report from their staff.  Archbishop Joseph Tobin (the new head of the congregation) was there. It was a good report.

            They gave just a very brief overview of what was happening during the visitation of the religious communities of women religious (in the United States in the last year and a half). They’re awaiting a final report from the person who was coordinating that, Mother Mary Clare (Millea, superior general of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). Also there was some question or controversy in the earlier stages of this, whether there would be a final report published or a final report (submitted) to each of the individual communities. Apparently, that is going to take place. At least that’s my understanding.

            It was a positive report. Of course, they can’t say a lot because the report goes confidentially to the religious communities, but, in general, it seems to be going along well.

            We talked also about vocations to religious communities of women and men and what we can do on the diocesan level to support vocations and to help religious communities of women and men awaken candidates. It gave me pause to realize that what we are doing (in the Archdiocese of New Orleans) in terms of a discernment house for women’s religious – asking young women to think about religious communities – is a very good move, I think. It was also indicated in a very strong way from the congregation their great appreciation – and all of our bishops totally agreed – that in the United States the religious have given two great gifts to the Catholic Church: that is, education and health care. There was just a deep appreciation for that.

            Had there been some concern on the part of women religious why perhaps the Vatican was taking this kind of look at their service? Has that all been smoothed out?

            Most communities have come to understand their reasoning. Some still feel a little more offended by what has happened, and I think, looking back on it, many people would admit, even some of the people on our national level and on the universal level, there should have been greater communication, a better sense of communication as to why this was being done and who was doing it, etc. There wasn’t a great deal of communication. I think that that was certainly something that the congregation learned from. There is, of course, new leadership in the congregation, as well. There is a newly appointed bishop who is a Redemptorist from the United States (Archbishop Joseph Tobin) who is working as the secretary of the congregation. He’s an archbishop now, so that helps give a voice in understanding what’s happened in the United States. There has been some miscommunication, some misunderstanding, perhaps. Some concerns would be certainly valid, and I think in many ways those have been reconciled.

            I know that in New Orleans the religious communities that were visited had a very positive experience. I personally met with the visitators and I think that that has gone very well and those communities have been reassured that this can be and has been a positive process.

            Are the reports almost ready?

            We don’t know that for sure. The report is on its way from Mother Mary Clare. We don’t know when it’s coming out. It would have to be reviewed by the congregation before it’s published.

            You also met with the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization?

            We did. That’s a new dicastery. It’s only one year old. Of course, their work is very much cut out for themselves because the synod that will take place in Rome in October of this year is on new evangelization. And the questions that they’re asking right now are, No. 1, what is the new evangelization, what does that mean? And, No. 2, what does the new evangelization propose for the church? It’s really about attempting to have a greater missionary spirit in the Catholic Church and for people to live out that sense of discipleship. I would say that it might be able to be summarized this way – that for us as the universal church, the mission is to the world, as we would say, “ad gentes.” So for those who do not know Christ, we would want to do whatever we can to be evangelists and to help them to know Christ, that the message of Christ and the Gospel of Christ can be awakened in their lives and in their hearts.

            To those who are already Catholic, how can we help them come to a deeper relationship with Christ? What is it that we can do as a church – and not just bishops and priests and religious sisters and brothers and lay ministers, but all of us – to spread the message of Christ?

            We also talked about the youth and what we can do to help them come to a deeper personal relationship with Christ. The YOUCAT (youth catechism) is now available and was used during World Youth Day. We talked about the place of catechesis in all of the dimensions of the church. We talked about how in the seminaries in the United States we do a better job of preparing seminarians to be evangelists by teaching them how to teach and preach. Nonetheless, there are further opportunities where we can increase our efforts in that regard.

            We also talked about the role of culture, and that’s a tough question because in many ways, as we have often said, the media in the United States is in some ways defining the culture. Sometimes we end up in a relationship where we have to present another side or another culture that, in terms of evangelization, is very different from the culture of the media. So what can we do in order to be countercultural?

            Why was Pope Benedict so interested in the new evangelization that he would create this new council?

            From Pius X through Benedict XVI, there has been a strong theme of evangelization. And I think the pope sees it as an opportunity for two things: for those who are already believers in Christ, how can we help them to grow in a personal and more intimate encounter with Christ? For the nonbelievers, for those who have not been awakened in terms of a relationship with Christ, what can we as a church do to awaken that call? I think Benedict XVI sees himself in a very real way as an evangelist, as one who must reach out because of the missionary role of the church, and we must reach out to others.

            I think he would use the words of John Paul II that faith is not a private matter but it is to be shared with others. Our faith cannot be just something that we say – words – but something that we have to live if we truly believe it. Then we will invite others to share in that same gift to have a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus.

            You also met with the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

            I just came back from that meeting a few minutes ago. We talked extensively about World Youth Day and the great gift that it is to the young people, especially the young adults of the world of the Catholic church. I often say in the archdiocese that our youth and young adults are an important, life-filled, lively dimension of the Catholic church today, and we should be very grateful in the United States, particularly in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, for all that they bring to the church. World Youth Day is a very important dimension of helping our young people grow in discipleship but also helping them to realize their vocation in life, ranging from, obviously, the sacrament of marriage to the single way of life but also to the priesthood and religious life. We also talked about the lay movements that are taking place and specifically mentioned things like the Knights of Columbus, the Legion of Mary, the Knights of Peter Claver. But there are many, many movements. Actually, there are four or five new movements a year that are part of the Catholic church in the world.

            John Paul II was the first who really brought these movements together and said that the gifts of the Holy Spirit for our time today are very often shown through the charisms of the various movements. The Council for the Laity calls us to be particularly mindful of the participation of the laity in the life of the church – their being able to serve with us collaboratively in certain ministries, the formation of the laity in terms of good catechesis and helping them to discover their own vocation and their own call to discipleship. So, it was a very interesting discussion.

            It sounds like your schedule has been very full.

            Today I also had the opportunity, beside the regular meetings, to meet with the secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture about the John Paul II Exhibit that will take place in New Orleans. We were able to do a little bit of further planning on that. We still have a ways to go, but we are hoping – and this is all not firm – that the exhibit will take place sometime in January or February of 2013 and would be in New Orleans for approximately three or four months. As far as we can tell right now from our visit with him, it will only be in three or four cities in the United States, so we are very privileged to be able to be one of the few (cities) and possibly the first (in the U.S.) that will have the exhibit of Blessed John Paul II.

            The title they’re suggesting for this is: “I Have Come to You Again: Blessed John Paul II.” This will be an opportunity also to remember that he visited New Orleans, and that his spirit comes back. He comes back, but in a very different form. Bishop Fabre and I met with them, and it was a very interesting and exciting conversation.

            Isn’t the exhibit rather large?

            They are looking for a venue of about 1,000 square feet, and we’re presently working with people in the New Orleans area and with the City of New Orleans to find a location for it.

            Are you hoping to be the first stop on the exhibit tour?

            That’s what they’re planning. That’s the plan, but, of course, with these things, it’s a year away, so we don’t know for sure. We are a little bit further ahead than the other dioceses that would be involved. They haven’t disclosed the names of those dioceses yet. We did talk about them, and they’ve asked me to coordinate that in one case. But that is not yet public.

            The Super Bowl will be the first Sunday of February in 2013, so you will have a lot of people from out of town descending upon New Orleans.

            We specifically mentioned that to the professor, and he laughed and said, “Oh, we will try, we will try.” We said we might miss the Sugar Bowl (in January), but we want to at least be there for the Super Bowl.

            When will you be meeting with the Congregation for the Causes of Saints?

            Archbishop Hughes, Bishop Fabre and I will be meeting with the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (next Monday), and we will be specifically talking about Henriette Delille. The Redemptorists have the primary responsibility for Blessed Seelos, whom we also will be asking for an update on. I’ve spoke to (Redemptorist) Father Byron Miller (about Blessed Seelos) before I left. We will be checking on both of those. That meeting is scheduled on Monday morning.

            Is the miracle involved with the cause of Henriette Delille being investigated by the doctors connected with the congregation?

            One of the doctors has already given his opinion, and it seems to be a positive opinion. We’re still waiting for the second opinion, and that’s one of the things we want to check with them on to see what progress they’ve made in terms of the second opinion.

            How has the weather been?

            The weather is pleasant during the day. You can actually open windows in our room.

For the first installment of Archbishop Aymond’s ad limina trip (Monday, Jan. 23), click here.