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BISHOPS-SKYLSTAD Nov-13-2006 (540 words) With photos to come. xxxn
Bishops' leader says growing 'coarseness' in society affects church
By Jerry Filteau
Catholic News Service
BALTIMORE (CNS) -- A growing "coarseness" in U.S. society has had its impact on the Catholic Church, Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., warned the U.S. bishops as they began their fall national meeting Nov. 13 in Baltimore.
Bishop Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said the country has had a long history of vigorous, free exchange of ideas, but "there is a difference between spirited debate and debasing personal attacks."
"Today vulgarity is common, hardly noticed. Even the name of God is disrespected in everyday speech," he said.
"We confront this coarseness on a daily basis in the newspapers, on television and on the radio," he said. "I would suggest to you that the phenomenon is symptomatic of a growing failure in our society: the lack of respect for one another, to see each other as being made in the image and likeness of God."
In film and on television, he added, "there is a cruel celebration of violence. There is a mocking reduction of sexuality, debasing it from God's beautiful gift of creation to little more than casual chemistry and inconsequential recreation."
"It would be naive to think this descent into coarseness has neither social nor spiritual consequences," he said. He said he sees it in harsh and divisive debates within the church and even in "judgmental and uncharitable commentary" in some Catholic media.
Bishop Skylstad urged his fellow bishops to "foster attitudes and discourse based in charity."
"The call to love is as challenging as it is radical. ... We are all on the learning curve of profound love of neighbor," he said.
One of the challenges facing the church in restoring church unity is to "encourage and foster devotion to and the regular reception of the sacrament of reconciliation," he said.
Many people, including priests, go to confession rarely, if at all, he said. "The graces of this sacrament, and the consequence of the unity it brings, cannot fail to be felt by individuals, within families, and in our society," he said.
Archbishop Pietro Sambi, papal nuncio to the United States, also addressed the U.S. bishops in the opening session of their Nov. 13-16 meeting.
Noting that the bishops were marking the 200th anniversary of the dedication of the nation's first Catholic cathedral in Baltimore, Archbishop Sambi recalled some of the historic U.S. church events that occurred in that city, including the country's first seven provincial councils and three plenary councils.
He noted that American Cardinal James Gibbons once compared the place of Baltimore in U.S. Catholicism with that of Jerusalem for Jews or Rome for Catholics in general.
Archbishop Sambi cited the "quality and quantity" of U.S. priests in coming years as "a pressing problem that we cannot ignore."
He noted that Pope Benedict XVI, speaking to bishops from Ireland, recently addressed the problem of clergy sexual abuse of minors and urged bishops to take all steps necessary to prevent such abuse and to bring justice and healing to abuse victims.
He said as the U.S. church goes through a time of purification on that issue, bishops should encourage all their priests "always to seek spiritual renewal."
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Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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