In August 2011, Kimmi Vo, CSOM ’14, traveled to Spain with a group of fellow Boston College students to partic-ipate in World Youth Day in Madrid and the preceding Magis program hosted in Loyola by the Society of Jesus. Magis is a weeklong spiritual experience designed to prepare Jesuit-educated students for the impending World Youth Day by immers-ing them in various excursions. Each was different but united by a common use of the Ignatian Examen as a daily means of reflecting on the relations between one’s own unique experiences and spiritual development.

Kimmi’s Magis experience was a sev-en-day pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Ignatius from his birthplace in Loyola to Javier, the birthplace of his dear friend St. Francis Xavier. The mountainous ter-rain of northern Spain was challenging for hiking novices, but the climate was cool beneath the heavy canopy of Iberi-an pines which blocked out the blazing sunlight and locked in the moisture of the rains. However, by the third and fourth

days the landscape began to change dramatically as the pilgrims approached the city of Pamplona, the site of Igna-tius’ nearly fatal wounding in 1521. In this arid and desert-like region, many of the tired and weakened pilgrims were now truly feeling the pains of their long journey, suffering from blisters, sprained ligaments, colds, and heat rash.

The public water fountains in each city, town, and village where the pilgrims stopped to fill their bottles had potable water; however, on the sixth day as the mercury rose to a steaming 39°C (102°F), the group, which was typically jovial and prone to randomly breaking into joyful song, marched silently along the barren paths of the desert plains. It was a silence fruitful for reflection and prayer, but they were distracted from this by their longing to slake their thirst. For the first time, the towns they passed through had no water to offer the wearied travelers.

Through her thirst, Kimmi was re-minded of a non-profit she had been following on Twitter. Charity: water was

Volume I, Issue I Wednesday, September 25, 2013

I!"#$% T&#" E$#'#(!

Mass of the Holy Spirit Unites Student BodyPage 3

Pope Francis Gives Interview to Jesuit PublicationPage 7

Viaggio a Roma: Finding God in All !ingsPage 13

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Student Group Raises Money for charity: water

CHARITY WATER continued on 2

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Early this month, Syrian reb-els attacked Maaloula, an ancient Christian town northeast of Damascus. Fighting began after rebels seized a checkpoint, which they claim was harming Muslims. Ever since, Maaloula has been the site of a tug-of-war battle between government and rebel regimes. The attack, one that paints an-ti-Assad rebels as unsympathetic to Christians, complicates the question of whether the United States should take an active stance against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Assad has famously alleged

that he is pro-Christian, and the rebels’ recent attack in Maaloula may confirm that claim. Rebels leading the attack are at odds with Assad, painting him as potential-ly more sympathetic toward the religious minority. Maaloula is, according to Russia Today, Syria’s Christian center and one of the few places Western Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is still spoken. The rebels’ apparent disregard for Maaloula’s religious and historical significance may cost them credi-bility among Christians and, more importantly, American Christians.

President Obama is in the

midst of convincing Congress and a skeptical American public that military action against the Assad-run government is the right next step. Though Assad has committed what the United Na-tions Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon describes as “many crimes against humanity,” most Ameri-cans do not support an air strike that targets his regime. President Obama’s plan to convince Con-gress has yet to succeed, and the rebel regime’s anti-Christian im-age may be partly to blame.

The rebels themselves are also aware of the risk in seeming

anti-Christian. The rebels filmed themselves speaking with nuns, visiting local religious sites, and openly declaring they meant local Christians no harm. Very aware of their public relations problem, rebels quickly withdrew from most of the town, but many argue—especially those who are against American support for Syria’s rebel regime—it was too little, too late. The mostly Sun-ni-run rebel regime is regularly biased toward other Syrian Mus-lims, intimidating Christians who make up only about 10 percent of

Attack on Ancient Christian Town !reatens Rebel Regime’s LegitimacyE)$'*# M$+,"-))

SYRIA continued on 5

Kimmi Vo, CSOM ‘14, walks the dusty road into Urroz-Villa in northern Spain in August 2011.

founded in 2006 by Scott Harrison, a ser-vice volunteer who traced the many issues in developing countries back to a lack of clean drinking water. It is the mission of charity: water to help the one billion peo-ple worldwide who have limited access to clean water by drilling freshwater wells and developing rainwater catchments and sand filters.

Having completed her pilgrimage and having enjoyed the many excitements and graces of World Youth Day, Kimmi returned to the United States later that month with a mission in her heart. Back on the Heights only two weeks after touching down in Boston, Kimmi rallied some of her classmates to start exploring how the BC community could get involved to help charity: water.

Kimmi and her friends formulated a program to raise awareness, involve stu-dents, and raise funds for charity: water. During the 2011-2012 academic year, Kimmi, then a sophomore, organized a BC chapter of the organization, known as bcharity: water, and they raised $12,416. Now a senior, Kimmi has again taken up the task of raising money and aware-ness this school year along with a team of roughly twenty dedicated and hardworking students.

The harsh realities faced by the billion people suffering from water scarcity can be alleviated. Aiming to raise $20,000 to support the drilling of wells in Orissa, In-dia, the bcharity: water campaign pledges to send 100% of donations directly toward this effort. The drilling of such wells not only saves people from having to make a several hour journey in pursuit of water, but it also has the potential to save many lives. The 4,000 daily infant deaths and 1.5 million annual child deaths caused by con-sumption of dirty water can be avoided.

They will kick off the year’s fundrais-ing campaign this Thursday, September 26 at 4:15pm in O’Neill Plaza. Entitled BC Aquacade, the campaign allows people to come up with a pledge or challenege to be fulfilled when a certain monetary goal has been achieved. Jesuits, administrators, and student leaders are already getting involved.

From her own struggle a few years ago, Kimmi has started a crusade to help people who suffer daily from the pain she experi-enced for only a short while. In her suffer-ing, she learned the virtue of true compas-sion and is now bringing Christian charity to those most in need.

2

CHARITY WATER continued from 1

charity: water cont.

Campus News

3Campus News

Students studying on the first floor of O’Neill Library this fall can get a glimpse of how service work abroad has impacted some members of the Boston College community. The Level One Gallery is currently displaying a moving exhibit titled Remembering Their Stories: Exploring the Influ-ential Relationships Made through International Service Work. The ex-hibit, which opened on September 16, is sponsored by the recent Mustard Seed Dominican Republic service trip through Boston College Campus Ministry and The Boston College Libraries. Remembering Their Stories seeks to draw attention to the most memorable parts of service work abroad experienced by volunteers: the people one meets and the relation-ships one forms. As stated by the collaborators behind the exhibit, its primary aim is to acknowledge all of those people who have had profound effects on Boston College students throughout their time doing service work abroad, both in the Dominican Republic and in other areas across the world. Whether it be a community member, a local person, a supervi-sor, or even other volunteers, people are integral factors to understanding a country and culture.

Each photo on display in the exhibit is accompanied by a few sentenc-es written by the BC student who took the photo or was present at the time it was taken. From a girl competing with her mother to sell jewelry, to a group of young boys just having fun with toy cars in the street, the short story behind each photo adds a sense of humanity to the people of the Dominican Republic who touched each student’s life. The relation-ships that were made through the service work have certainly continued to influence the student volunteers long after their return to the Heights. In fact, the relationships forged on such service trips make longer-lasting impressions than just about anything else. In any case, these photos serve as a testament to how anyone can touch another person’s life in small but incredible ways.

Remembering Their Stories will be on exhibit in the Level One Gallery until October 30, 2013. For those interested in getting involved in service work abroad, stopping by the exhibit might be a great first step.

For more information about service opportunities available to stu-dents, feel free to explore the website bc.edu/offices/service or stop by the Volunteer and Service Learning Center in McElroy 114, or email vslc@bc.edu with any questions. It’s never too late to get involved in a life changing experience!

After two years of planning, Lauren Gray, A&S ‘14, and Chel-sea Healey, CSOM ‘14, have brought Wishmakers on Campus to Boston College for its first year as a Registered Student Organiza-tion. Not only is this new to campus, it is also the first indepen-dent college campus club associated with Make-a-Wish® Massa-chusetts and Rhode Island.

The Make-a-Wish® foundation is a nonprofit organization aimed to “provide profound joy and lasting hope” (Make-a Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island) to children aged 2.-18 years old with life threatening medical conditions by granting them wishes. Make-a-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island has granted over 6,000 wishes to children in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the past 26 years since it began. Chief Execu-tive Officer of Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Charlotte Beattie, said that she hopes other colleges in the area will follow Boston College’s example and that Wishmakers on Campus will continue to engage young people in helping these children and families. In 2011, Gray became involved in this or-ganization when she interned with Make-a-Wish® Hudson Val-ley. Healey became interested in Make-a-Wish® through directly seeing the value of wishes when her friend had a wish granted in high school.

Wishmakers on Campus will be assisting Make-a-Wish® Mas-sachusetts and Rhode Island by raising awareness and money. Through fundraising and events both on campus and in Boston, the club aims to raise $7,500 this year to support a child’s wish.

Gray and Healey both expressed that they were surprised Wishmakers had not been started on campus before, as it fits so well with the Boston College spirit. Gray says, “It’s a really admirable foundation that we foresee fitting perfectly into the BC community since it adheres very faithfully to its Jesuit Cath-olic identity and promotes the spirit of volunteerism.” They are excited about getting to know the people they are volunteering with and would like to see the students of Boston College come together to help deserving children in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island areas.

For more information on Make-a-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island, you can visit www.massri.wish.org. If you are inter-ested in getting involved with Wishmakers on Campus, contact Chelsea Healey and Lauren Gray at wishmakersoncampusbc13@gmail.com. Meetings are biweekly.

On Thursday, September 12, Boston College celebrated its an-nual tradition of the Mass of the Holy Spirit, presided over by the University President Rev. William Leahy, SJ, Vice President for Uni-versity Mission and Ministry Rev. Jack Butler, SJ, and Associate Pro-fessor of Physics Rev. Cyril Opeil, SJ. It was sunny, despite cloudy blue skies. The liturgy was ob-served on the lawn facing O’Neill Library. Chairs were ordered in long rows upon which people sat awaiting the commencement of the academic year through prayer and the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

The Jesuit tradition of the Mass of the Holy Spirit originated

with the establishment of the first Jesuit school at Messina, Sicily in 1548. Jesuit schools are recog-nized for their academic prow-ess and deeply spiritual vision. These two attributes are achieved through the grace of the Holy Spirit, whose wealth of wisdom provides students with a source of comfort and aid as they embark on the trials of a new academic year.

The liturgy opened with the procession of the faculty garbed in their academic robes, a model of success for the adjoining body of students. The Liturgy Arts Group ushered forth the principal celebrant, Fr. Leahy, with the en-

trance hymn “Come, Holy Ghost,” which invoked the Holy Spirit to “come with thy grace and heav-enly aid to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.”

The first reading, proclaimed by Associate Professor of Eco-nomics Francis McLaughlin, was from the second chapter of Acts of the Apostles, describing the Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit, in the form of “tongues of fire,” descended upon the Apos-tles, allowing them to speak new languages previously unknown to them. The second reading, taken from the First Letter to the Cor-inthians, spoke of unity within a diverse body of people under the

Holy Spirit.The homily of Fr. Opeil ex-

pounded on the readings by recognizing that “being here today and gathering in prayer in the midst of our busy academic lives, as a community of faith, is an important sign of who we are and who we want to be.” The Holy Spirit is the defining force behind the Ignatian goal of producing “men and women for others.” The congregation was composed of a “diversity of believers” that had come to experience the “unify-ing effects” of the Holy Spirit. Through this gathering, all of Boston College was united in its single purpose of glorifying God.

Dominican Republic ExhibitE/$)0 W$+%1-#2-#

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tion to the most memorable parts of service work abroad experienced by volunteers: the people one meets and the relationships one forms.

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4

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A third century theologian in6uences the birth of contemplative prayer, a Mozart compo-sition, and the work of an acclaimed American scholar? At 7rst glance, it seems unlikely, like a loosely spun plot out of a Dan Brown movie. However, when over 70 Origen scholars from around the world present years of research at a weeklong conference in Aarhus, Denmark, it’s hard to dismiss. From August 26-30, hundreds of scholars, including Boston College Associate Pro-fessor of !eology Margaret Schatkin, gathered to explore “Origen and Origenism in the History of Western !ought.”

Origen was an Egyptian scholar and theo-logian of the third century and today is known as a Church Father, a designation given to the early teachers of the Christian faith. He wrote numerous biblical commentaries and philosoph-ical expositions on the Christian faith. !e city of Aarhus, with its deeply Catholic and Lutheran tradition, appropriately set the scene for a global conference on Origen and his impact on Western thought.

“Origen is an extremely important scholar,” said Schatkin. “When you go to these conferences, you learn so much. I went because I wanted to learn more.”

One of the most impressive presentations, according to Professor Schatkin, was Dr. Patricia Ciner’s paper on Origen and the exegesis of man-uscripts of the Gospel of John. Dr. Ciner used ci-tations from Origen’s works to refute each of Bart Erhman’s claims that the New Testament’s trans-mission was corrupted. Coincidentally, Erhman and Schatkin were both students of Bruce Metzger at the Princeton !eological Seminary.

“!ere is extensive evidence owing to the

historicity and reliability of the New Testament,” said Schatkin, “furthermore, Origen’s proximity to the time in which it was written supports its credibility.”

Origen’s in6uence goes beyond the realm of theology and into the world of music. !e 18th century musical prodigy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mo-zart, wrote an accompaniment to a prayer adapt-ed by Origen. Dating back to the third century Egyptian Coptic Christians, Sub Tuum Praesidi-um (Beneath !y Protection) is the oldest extant prayer to the Virgin Mary. At the conference,

Schatkin’s sister, musicologist Dr. Jane Schatkin Hettrick, presented her research on how the Mari-an hymn 7nds its roots in Origen.

“!e prayer comes from an ancient text worshipping the goddess Isis, who is traditionally depicted nursing the god Horus,” said Schatkin.

Origen adapted the text adding the Greek word, !eotokos, meaning Mother of God. By the ninth century, the Latin translation of Sub Tuum Praesidium made its way into the Western World as a hymn. In later years, many composers, including Mozart and Handel, wrote accompani-ments to the Marian prayer. Mozart’s version of the prayer had a particular in6uence on the prom-

inence of Mariology in the 18th century Austrian tradition.

Schatkin said, “It was necessary that God pre-pared the world for the veneration of Our Lady,” by inspiring Origen to adapt a prayer to the pagan goddess Isis into a prayer that centuries later would become a foundation for Marian devotion.

Another speaker at the conference, Dr. Mon-ica Tobon, highlighted how Origen also laid the groundwork for contemplative prayer. Evagrius Ponticus, a student of Origenism in Alexandria in the fourth century, is known for being the 7rst to expound upon the psychological dimension of prayer. Dr. Tobon, a lecturer at the Franciscan International Study Centre in Canterbury, En-gland, drew parallels between “centering prayer,” which is particularly present amongst the English mystics of the 20th century, and Evagrian prayer. Centering prayer, like Evagrian prayer, emphasiz-es the act of simply being in the presence of God, as opposed to directed prayer. Tobon showed how Evagrian prayer, which was derived from Origen’s teachings on prayer, is at the heart of what we know today as “centering prayer.”

!e papers by Cineros, Hettrick, and Tobon, are just a glimpse into the weeklong, international conference about Origen and Origenism in the history of Western thought. Origen was one of the earliest preservers of the faith and now, almost 2,000 years later, we can still see his in6uence in the origins of Christian devotion and Western thought. A Lutheran herself, Schatkin said the conference “truly gave witness to the continuity of the Church.”

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“When you go to these conferences, you learn so much. I went because I want-ed to learn more.”

Sunday Readings

September 29, 2013: Reading 1: Amos 6: 1A, 4-7 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 146: 7, 8-9, 9-10 Reading 2: 1 Timothy 6: 11-16 Gospel: Luke 16: 19-31

October 6, 2013: Reading 1: Habakkuk 1:2-3, 2:2-4 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 Reading 2: 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14 Gospel: Luke 17:5-10

October 13, 2013: Reading 1: 2 Kings 5:14-17 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 Reading 2: 2 Timothy 2:8-13 Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

October 20, 2013: Reading 1: Exodus 17:8-13 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 Reading 2: 2 Timothy 3:14--4:2 Gospel: Luke 18:1-8

Last Monday, September 16, a lone gunman killed 12 people and wounded eight more at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. !e man, 34-year-old Aaron Alexis, was a former Navy reservist with a checkered past of minor infractions of the law relating to violence. He had also been discharged from the Navy in 2011 for a “pattern of misbehavior.”

Just a8er 8 a.m., Alexis gained entry to the secure facility where he was serving as a subcontractor on an information tech-nology project through a subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard. He was armed with three weapons – an AR-15 assault ri6e, a shotgun, and a semiautomatic pistol. O9cials were uncertain whether he had brought all of those with him or whether he had obtained them a8er gaining access to the facility.

He shot down from above on employees who were seated in an atrium eating breakfast, and according to o9cials, this was where most of the damage was done. !e employees who were in the cafeteria at that time later described the chaos that ensued as people looked for a way to escape.

Responding police o9cers exchanged gun7re with Alexis, who was shot to death. Video surveillance indicated the possi-bility of two other gunmen on the premises, but this was later determined to be inaccurate. No motive is yet known behind

Alexis’ violent rampage.Later that a8ernoon, His Excellency, the Most Reverend

Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop for Military Services USA and a Boston College alumnus of the class of 1973, issued a statement about the day’s events.

“With all people of good will, I am shocked and deeply saddened by the terrible loss of life this morning at the Navy Yard. I have o8en visited and celebrated the Eucharist there. It is a familiar place. I also prayed for the victims, the wounded, and their families at the noon Mass at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center. Somehow we must restore the notion of respect for life into the fabric of the Nation. When the uniqueness of the human person created in the image and likeness of God is universally recognized, the possibility of a mass shooting is more remote.”

Last Monday’s events hearken back to the shooting at the military base at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009 when 13 people were killed and more than 30 were wounded. Since that time and since the more recent events in Newtown, Connecticut in December 2012, the American episcopacy has been encouraging the implementation of stricter gun control laws to reduce the occurrence of these violent mass shootings.

As Archbishop Broglio notes in his statement of last Monday, in addition to the step of e:ecting changes to the laws involving gun ownership, a cultural transformation is paramount. A re-spect for the dignity of human life and the divine origins of each human person must be universally acknowledged. By addressing the issue in the context of sin, the failure to love God and neigh-bor, bishops hope to solve the issue at its core.

Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, also released a statement that day encouraging prayer, which he called “our most valuable tool” in times of crisis. Cardinal Wuerl celebrated a Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle the day a8er the shootings “to invoke God’s embrace of those who died, and for the consolation of families, healing for those injured, and for the community.”

5World News

Liberation !eology Comes to the Vatican

Archbishops Respond to Navy Yard ShootingC"#$% C&''$((

In a surprising twist in the complicated saga of Vatican relations with liberation theology, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (the same position once held by the Pope Emeritus), published an editorial praising that theological movement in the Vatican paper L’Osservatore Romano - alongside that of Father Gustavo Gutierrez, O.P., considered the founder of Latin American liberation theology.

Gutierrez, who championed the importance of a “preferential option for the poor,” said in his editorial, “We are not with the poor if we are not against poverty… !at is, if we do not reject the condition that oppresses a signi7cant part of humanity… !is is what is happening today in face of the dominant presence of neo-liberalism which appears behind an economy increasingly more independent from politics.” For Guti-errez, the structures of the economy show a social order that is disposed to keeping some in poverty and unjust socio-economic conditions, imposed by those with wealth and power. !us, by siding with the people, the poor, those on whom the whole system relies and which the system cannot ignore, human dignity is upheld and produces a healthy society, humanity, and environment.

In a later interview with Father Ugo Sarto-rio, Gutierrez says this theology “is not social liberation theology, although the release has a social aspect; there is also a personal liberation, which concerns the mentality, and then there is liberation from sin. !is set is called salvation, which is therefore not only salvation from sin… Liberation theology seeks personal freedom, humanity, freedom from injustice, wrong mind-set and ultimately from sin.”

In his editorial, the Prefect praises the work of Gutierrez as important for its emphasis on Jesus Christ as the liberator of humanity from injustice. And in his evaluation, Müller says, “!e Bible describes Christ as the savior who brings liberation... He frees man from sin – both personal and structural, which ultimately… is the cause of all injustice and all oppression. Only Christ makes us free… Based on this liberty we are called to help people, since each and every

poor person in need is our neighbor.” He also praises the movement for creating a diversity of Catholic theology. Following the lead of Guti-errez, he concludes that “to practice the truth brings us to take the side of the poor.”

!at editorials appeared in the Vatican paper is surprising enough. Even more so is the fact that Müller, who is a known supporter of liberation theology, is prefect of the same dicastery once headed by the former Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. It was Pope Benedict himself who appointed Müller to this post in 2012.

As Prefect of the CDF, Cardinal Ratzing-er issued two documents cautioning against certain elements of liberation theology, suspi-cious of Marxist elements of thought in “some” unidenti7ed works of liberation theology, and he also silenced Father Leonardo Bo: on two occasions. More recently, in 2007, Müller’s direct predecessor, Cardinal Levada, also issued a noti-7cation and admonishment concerning Father Jon Sobrino, S.J.

In the context of Pope Francis calling for “a poor Church for the poor,” as well as signs of heavy interest in the canonization of Archbish-op Oscar Romero, this theological moment for Latin America could signal a shi8 in perspective across the Church from the current Western lines of thinking to the centers of great vitality and growth in the Church in the global South.

M&#5 H-#+-'%+-$'

!e shocking change in fortune for one the most controver-sial theological developments of the last half-century.

“Somehow we must restore the notion of respect for life into the fabric of the Nation.”

the population. Maaloula has been a longtime symbol of Muslim-Christian coex-istence in Syria, and recent violence has triggered the literal and figurative end of that alliance.

Given the large number of Iraqi Christians displaced after America’s 2003 offensive, President Obama is wary of the risk inherent in backing an anti-Chris-tian regime. Skeptics against American intervention fear that the fall of Assad may mean more power in the hands of rebel extremists, ones like those leading the attack on Maaloula, the fall of which is an example of what a post-Assad Syria may look like and of the uncertainty that Christians in Syria now face. Maaloula’s fall not only complicates President Obama’s decision regarding military action in Syria, but it brings to light the religious friction that exists between Christians and Muslims in the Middle East.

Syria cont....

“!e Bible describes Christ as the savior who brings liberation... He frees man from sin – both personal and structural, which ultimately… is the cause of all injustice and all oppression. Only Christ makes us free… Based on this liberty we are called to help people, since each and every poor person in need is our neighbor.”

6 World News

7World News

In late August, the Holy Father, Pope Francis gave a lengthy inter-view to the Italian Jesuit publica-tion, La Civiltà Cattolica which was translated and published last !urs-day in 16 separate Jesuit publica-tions, including America magazine. !e article in America, entitled “A Big Heart Open to God,” comes in at a word count of around 1200 and covers issues varying from the pope’s Jesuit spirituality to the role of women in the Church.

!e article begins by addressing the question “Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?” Re6ecting the humility and simplicity that many have come to love about this Ponti:, the pope responds, “I do not know what might be the most 7tting descrip-tion.... I am a sinner.” !e pope then goes on to discuss how he decid-ed to enter the Society of Jesus. He heavily considered joining the Dominicans when he 7rst entered the diocesan seminary; however,

he ultimately decided to enter the Society of Jesus for three main reasons: “the missionary spirit, community, and discipline.”

!e interview has garnered a great deal of attention in the secular media for a section in which Pope Francis discusses the moral positions which o8en put the Church at odds with secu-lar society. !e pope states, “We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage, and the use of contraceptive methods. !is is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that.”

Many have claimed that this puts the pope at odds with the traditional teaching of the Church. However, most Catholic commen-tators say that the pope is simply stating how these contentious moral truths need to be placed within the context of the ultimate truth of Christ’s resurrection. Later in

the interview the pope adds, “…when we speak about these [moral] issues, we have to talk about them in a context. !e teaching of the Church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the Church, but it is not necessary to talk about these

issues all the time.”Pope Francis also spoke about

the Sacrament of Reconciliation, of which he has been an ardent promoter during his papacy. He says, “!e thing the Church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the Church as a 7eld hospital a8er battle.” He goes on to say, “…the great bene7t of confession as a sacrament [is] eval-uating case by case and discerning what is the best thing to do for a person who seeks God and grace. !e confessional is not a torture chamber, but the place in which the Lord’s mercy motivates us to do better.”

!e full interview with the pope covers many additional topics, and it can be found online at America magazine’s website.

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Pope Francis Gives Interview to Jesuit Publication

Earlier this month, the Catholic bishops of the United States announced a two-month-long nationwide initiative to promote aware-ness of the need for immigration reform that respects the dignity of the individual persons and the unity of the families who have been victims of the current, flawed system. Such events as special Masses, prayer services, pilgrimages, and parish talks on the topic are being hosted in dioceses across the country. Leading cardinals and archbishops have pub-lished op-ed pieces on the topic in the New York Daily News, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post among other publi-cations.

Here in Boston, Cardinal Seán O’Malley wrote a letter to the Catholic faithful of the Archdiocese. His letter was printed in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Pilot, and it was also handed out to parishioners after Masses at Cardinal O’Malley’s own seat, the Cathe-dral of the Holy Cross in Boston’s South End. O’Malley, who holds a doctorate in Spanish literature, also published his letter in Span-ish that it might be more easily read by those Catholics who are most directly impacted by this issue.

“Immigration is a theme which runs through the history of Catholicism in Amer-ica. The growth of the Church in the Unit-ed States during the last two centuries was driven by immigration…as the newly arrived turned to our parishes for protection, assis-

tance, and advice,” said O’Malley in his letter.“The Church intends to be an active par-

ticipant in the immigration process. We will

continue through Catholic Charities and our parishes and schools to assist new Americans as they enter our society and contribute to it, as immigrants have for centuries,” continued O’Malley.

This action by the bishops has been spurred on by the current legislation making its way through Congress. A bill has already passed in the Senate, and the House of Repre-sentatives is presently debating the issue. The

bishops are working towards comprehensive immigration reform, which will be rooted in the principle of family unification and will guarantee a path to citizenship for the 11 mil-lion persons in this country who are undocu-mented. “The status of those people – whose lives, dignity, and human rights are at stake – is the central moral issue at this moment in the policy debates,” said O’Malley.

The United States Conference of Catho-lic Bishops (USCCB) runs a website at www.justiceforimmigrants.org, which speaks to the specific policy matters and the religious underpinnings of the bishops’ approach to the desired legal reform. You can go there to print out a postcard to be mailed to your senator or representative, urging a just and compassionate reform. The USCCB’s “Justice for Immigrants” initiative also has a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, who heads the USCCB’s Committee on Mi-gration, has spoken out clearly and unambig-uously on this matter. “Each day in our par-ishes, social service programs, hospitals, and schools, we witness the human consequences of a broken immigration system…without positive change to our immigration laws, we cannot help our brothers and sisters. Simply put, the status quo is morally unacceptable. This suffering must end.”

US Catholic Bishops Urge Immigration ReformC"#$% C&''$((

“Immigration is a theme which runs through the history of Catholicism in America. The growth of the Church in the United States during the last two centu-ries was driven by immigra-tion…as the newly arrived turned to our parishes for protection, assistance, and advice.” -Cardinal O’Malley

“!e thing the Church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the Church as a 7eld hospital a8er battle.”

8 The Torch

!e Torch is a Catholic student newspaper produced by members of the Boston College community that reports on Catholic news both on campus and in broader society and that probes the vast riches of the Church’s intellectual tradition. Taking seriously the values to

which Boston College is committed as a Catholic university, !e Torch desires an active and healthy exchange of ideas. Moreover, its chief end is to be a tool for the new evangelization,

spreading faith in Jesus Christ as a source of conversion and new life.

!ere are numerous ways for you to get involved ~ news, photography, web design, layout, editing, etc!

E-mail bctorcheditors@gmail.com for more info.

Editor-in-ChiefChristopher Canni:

Interim Managing EditorNatalie Yuhas

Senior Sta! ColumnistsNikki Elliott

Mark HertensteinEthan MackKatie Rich

Campus News Sta!Margaret Antonio

Alessandra LuedekingEmily Witsberger

World News Sta!Elinor Mitchell

Topical ColumnistsMargo Borders

Jay ChinAnthony CossetteGjergji Evangjeli

Business ManagerStephanie Johnson

Website EditorKevin Gleason

Layout EditorsMargo Borders

Nick Wisniewski

Photography EditorBianca Dempsey

9Topical Columns

Judging by your confusion at the title of the column and this article, you, dear reader, are perhaps wondering what lies in store for you as you dare to read these not-so-sacred words in a fundamentally Catholic newspaper operating at a Cath-olic university. Yes, you may require a quick confession and absolution from our friends, the Jesuits, a8er just one glance at what I have to write about. I assure you, however, that there will be no outlines of satanic rituals to perform or the typical religion bashing that the prototypical atheist savors to accomplish simply for the sake of being an obnoxious provocateur. I believe we have long since grown past the days of witch-hunts that our neighboring Salem used to conduct in the days of yore.

!ese introductory remarks beg a simple question that yields no easily dis-cernible answer: “Why would a professed nonbeliever be writing in a religious newspaper?” For one, I was practically raised as a Catholic. I was anointed in the customary Sacrament of Baptism as an infant, attended a Catholic grade school from kindergarten to the eighth grade, and then went on to a Jesuit high school. !roughout most of this period, I was your bread-and-butter neighborhood Catholic, receiving the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Con7rmation, and Commu-nion. I attended Mass on most Sundays, lest I incurred the great wrath of God for committing a mortal sin by sleeping away His precious time. So what would cause me to change this trajectory and become an apostate of Catholicism and organized religion in general?

!e reasons for my eventual rejection of the tenets of Catholic faith were not due to an intense dislike of anyone within the Church, but because of my radical questioning of the truth and import of Catholic doctrines, as well as because of my doubts concerning the very existence of a theistic God. !e word “radical” does not imply that I am a rabble-rouser seeking to generate controversy le8 and right. In fact, “radical” comes from the Latin word radix, meaning “root.” So, to be philosophically “radical” means to grasp the “root” of the matters at hand which, in this case, are the roles and purposes of religion in our modern society. !e specif-ics of these concerns go well beyond the scope of this article. My intention is that

subsequent issues will further elucidate my views so as to generate discussion and dialogue between members of all faith, including those of no faith. !e so-called “culture wars” that the modern American media likes to portray as genuine intel-lectual inquiry o8en seem nothing more than mere eristics, or two sides engaging in a style of pointless debate centered on winning and beating the opponent’s argument. !e world is already full of issues in addition to these age-old antago-

nisms. Let’s not seek to exacerbate the tensions by citing all the arti7cial boundaries separating each of us. We should opt instead to 7nd agreement and commonalities among ourselves so we can come to pursue actual solutions to the vexing and per-sistent di9culties plaguing our planet, such as poverty, wanton destruction to our biosphere, petty nationalistic politics, and war. So let’s attempt to set aside preju-dicial di:erences and join me as I extend my hand out to you in warm greeting as your local, friendly, neighborhood agnostic.

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In 1999, the late Coptic Pope, H. H. Shenouda III, wrote “!e Nature of Christ,” a work through which he hoped “to settle this question by attempting to rewrite a satisfactory wording of our faith, which would be ac-ceptable to all.” !ere is much that all Copts, Orthodox, and Catholics would have to agree with while reading it. Nonetheless, the principal question of the article is to see whether it is possible to maintain that Christ, the Incarnate Logos, had only one Nature, which has been the Coptic Church’s position and the reason for its separation from both the (Eastern) Orthodox Church as well as the Roman Catholic Church. “On the Nature of Christ” is a clear and precise formulation that shows that there is now more possibility than there has ever been for the Coptic Church to join with the Chalcedo-nian Churches. More than that, it shows that the Coptic Church has given a great push toward the purpose of reuni7cation, a push that needs to be examined and answered by both the Christian East and the Christian West. I do not claim to be a theologian for any pur-pose, but I believe that a new and more philosophically inclined look into this article will show that there is little more than misunderstanding over de7nitions in the separation between the non-Chalcedonian and Chalce-donian Churches and, at the same time, that the loose de7nition of ‘Nature’ on the part of non-Chalcedonian Churches can be harmoniously substituted without causing harm to either side’s theology.

As such, there is no problem with the theology in the article. In fact, there are no fewer than ten headings in “!e Nature of Christ,” but there is little to talk about once one passes the 7rst three in terms of a disjunction

between the two churches. !e real problem only rests in carefully and properly de7ning what we mean by the word ‘Nature’ and 6eshing out whether a more rigid de7nition of this word would a:ect the theology in the remaining seven headings. My opinion is that a bet-

ter-de7ned understanding of that word would solve this ancient con6ict.

One can see the loose de7nition of the term ‘nature’ by the following quotation from the article, “… human nature…comprises two united natures: the soul and the body.” !e composite view of nature presented here would lead to problems of logical consistency. In addition, when the theological principles relevant to this matter are being laid out later on, H. H. Shenouda says, “It is One Nature (one entity) but has all the properties

of two natures.” It seems, therefore, that the misun-derstanding is in terms of what the Church means by ‘person’ and what She means by ‘nature.’ !ere would be no Orthodox or Catholic believer who would ever argue against, “It is the one Person of Christ who has all the properties of the two natures.” !e singular per-sonhood of Christ is de7ned in terms of metaphysical existence, i.e. there is only one living Christ; the (singu-lar) person of Christ possesses both the Divine Nature in its fullness as well as the human Nature in its fullness. ‘Nature,’ however, is not de7ned in terms of metaphysi-cal existence, but as a conceptual abstraction. !erefore, Christ possesses the fullness of what we mean when we say ‘God’, i.e. He is fully Divine. At the same time, He possesses the fullness of what we mean when we say ‘human’, i.e. He is fully human.

!is more rigid de7nition of ‘nature’ solves the dilemma that H. H. Shenouda mentions in the 7rst quotation. If what we mean by ‘human nature’ is simply the abstraction of what it means to be human, i.e. possessing of both body and soul, then there is no reason to say that human nature in itself is comprised of two natures. On the other hand, saying that Christ has two Natures does not imply a division between the two, because the two Natures are harmoniously united in the person of Christ, which is singular. By inputting this distinction between ‘nature’ and ‘person,’ one does not harm or cause any change to the theological dogma about Christ. I hope that a discussion based on these terms would serve as the jumping of the last hurdle toward reconciliation between the non-Chalcedonian and Chalcedonian Churches.

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Ecumenism: Concerning the Natures of Christ

Devil’s Advocate: Come, All Ye Heretics

“We should opt instead to 7nd agree-ment and commonalities among our-selves so we can come to pursue actual solutions to the vexing and persistent di9culties plaguing our planet, such as poverty, wanton destruction to our bio-sphere, petty nationalistic politics, and war.”

“By inputting this distinction between ‘nature’ and ‘person,’ one does not harm or cause any change to the theological dogma about Christ.”

10

Diseases and poverty run ram-pant around the globe, yet one of the most life-threatening condi-tions in our world today is simply being a girl.

Sex-selective abortion is defined as the practice of ter-minating a pregnancy based on the predicted sex of the baby. Sex-selective abortions that target females are still very common in places such as India and China. For example, according to the 2011 census, there are 37 million more men than women in India. Not only is this lack of females devastating to gender equality, but it is also damaging to the cul-tures and the generations of men that will not be able find wives and start a family.

Surprisingly, sex-selective abortions are common in the United States as well. The ramifi-cations of this have not been seen on such a massive scale as in In-dia or China, but there are restric-tions on sex-selective abortions in only four states: Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma. According to a 2011 Gallup Poll, American parents favor boys by a 40% to 28% margin. Women are still seeking sex-selective abor-tions in spite of the recent push for gender equality, and many feel pressured to make this choice.

Pope Francis spoke out recent-ly in a speech in Rome to Catholic gynecologists about the sacred-ness of human life.

“Every unborn child, though unjustly condemned to be abort-ed, has the face of the Lord, who

even before his birth, and then as soon as he was born, experienced the rejection of the world,” he said.

The pope attributed the dis-

regard for human life through abortion to the “general mentality of what’s useful, the ‘throwaway culture,’ that today enslaves the hearts and the intelligence of so many.”

I have visited an orphanage

in China where there are many living products of this culture. Al-though it is encouraging that their parents chose life for them despite their gender, I can say firsthand

what a shock it is to see so many little girls given up in the spirit of this “throwaway culture” because they simply were not male. Many of them were literally thrown away onto the street after their birth. If this is the product of a society that cannot see the true dignity of women, then America could be headed towards this dan-gerous reality.

The idea of inherent worth based on gender is discrimina-tion at its most severe. Nothing is “pro-woman” when it comes to killing females in the womb. How can we promote a culture of life and opportunity for all women when sex-selective abor-tion is legal in 46 states? The fact that sex-selective abortion is still going on is a testament to the work that still needs to be done in promoting a society in which all people’s lives are cherished and protected.

Pro-life ideals embrace the uniqueness and inherent dignity present in all people, regardless of race, gender, or age. As a society, we should recognize the beauty and worth of all women, both in-side and outside the womb. That is what being pro-woman and pro-life is all about.

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“Every unborn child, though unjustly con-demned to be aborted, has the face of the Lord, who even before his birth, and then as soon as he was born, experienced the rejection of the world.” -Pope Francis

Pro-life: Sex-selective Abortion Endangers Women

Topical Columns

The Vigil of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross marked the re-turn of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom for the 2013-14 academic year at Boston College. With about fifty faithful in attendance, Fr. Michael Moisin of the Romanian Catholic Church presided over the Vigil at St. William’s Chapel on the Brighton Campus. The Antiphons were sung in Romanian and Greek by Rev. Dcn. Michael Connolly, Archdeacon of the Ar-menian Catholic Church, and the responses were sung in Sla-voric by Lyria, a four-man choice from St. Petersburg. Retired priest Rev. John McLaughlin of the Archdiocese of Boston gave the homily. He reminded the faithful that the Cross is a sign of conquering, blessing and a hope which, as the Pope said, we cannot let anyone rob us of. The cantor, Mr. Adrian Rosca, chanted the Psalm verses, and Mr. Todd Velianski chanted the Epistle. Fr. James Morris of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and Rev. Dcn. John Moses, Protodeacon of the Melkite Catholic Church, also assisted in the Vigil.

The Roman Catholic Church has great difficulty with re-membering that it is not the only Catholic Church. Along with the Roman church, about twenty independent, self-governing Churches are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, while still retaining their own traditions and liturgical heritage. The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is the hallmark for about fifteen of these Churches, for it is has remained greatly unchanged for more than sixteen hundred years. It is different than a Mass in many ways, in vestments, postures, and incense, but the way in which it has struck me more than anything else is how it truly brings down barriers between people of dif-ferent races, nationalities and statuses and gives people hope amid an environment of heterodoxy, heteropraxy, and rejec-tion. Roman Catholics gather in worship with the Catholic East and fully embrace all that it has to offer. This is both a sign of

hope and sorrow, much like the Holy Cross. On the one hand, we see two largely divided groups come together to do as Christ commanded, to offer an Unbloody Sacrifice, as one Catholic, Universal, community. On the other hand, we see people who have been greatly discouraged by what they see and hear in the Roman Church both inside and outside the Liturgy. They sim-ply want some peace of mind and joy in their hearts.

Thus the Divine Liturgy has a special place in the Boston College community. It exists not

only to provide a means of wor-ship for Eastern Catholics, but to raise awareness of the universality of the Church, not just one Roman Church, but as a Catholic Church, one made of many Churches, many Rites, many saints and sinners.

11Topical Columns

Liturgy: !e Divine LiturgyJ&0 C"$'

It exists not only to pro-vide a means of worship for Eastern Catholics, but to raise awareness of the universality of the Church, not just one Roman Church, but as a Catholic Church, one made of many Churches, many Rites, many saints and sinners.

Priests and deacons of the Eastern Rites celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom at the STM Chapel.Photo by: Jay Chin

12 Faculty Columns

I used to be wise. !en I grew up.When I was about eight, I think, I formulated

my 7rst general philosophical principle: “a little understanding is better than a lot of su:ering.” I still think that’s one of the best rules for a happy mar-riage. It’s probably even a good rule for international diplomacy.

At about the same age, driving home from church one Sunday morning and having been confused about something I was taught in Sunday School, I checked it out with my father, who I knew was wise in the ways of God,

“Dad, all that stu: we learn we’re supposed to do in church and Sunday School – it’s all just one thing, isn’t it?”

He was rightly suspicious of childish oversimpli7cations, so he said, “What do you mean? What one thing?”

“Well, we just have to ask Jesus what He wants us to do and then do it, right?”I can still remember his look of pleased surprise. “Yes, that’s right, son. You’re

right.” My father was a wise man. He was probably wiser at the age of eight, too. At about the same age, I lusted a8er an expensive Lionel electric train for Christ-

mas. I had never received such an expensive present, and I was afraid my father couldn’t a:ord it. I probably pestered him for many days before he sat me down, a few days before Christmas and said, “Son, do you know what Christmas means?”

“I think so.”“Tell me, then.” “It’s about love.”“Right. And why do we have it on December 25th?”

“I don’t know.”“I think you do. Whose birthday is that?”“Jesus.”“Right. So what does Jesus’ birth have to do with love?”“I don’t know.”“I’ll give you a hint. Why do we give gi8s to each other on Christmas?”“Because we love each other.”“Good! Now what does that have to do with Jesus’ birth?” “God gave us Jesus on Christmas because He loves us.”“Good! You know the meaning of Christmas. So you know why your mother

and I give you gi8s, right?” “Because you love me.”“Right. Now suppose we can’t a:ord to give you that expensive Lionel train you

want so much. Would you still know we love you?”At this point my sel7sh little calculating brain went into panic mode. Which

answer would get me the train? Could I blackmail him into buying it for me if I said no? !at didn’t feel right somehow. I just couldn’t 7gure out what answer would work, so I did what most kids do in a last resort emergency: when all else fails, tell the truth. “Sure, Dad, I know you love me even if you can’t a:ord to buy me the train.”

“!ank you, Son. You’ve made me so very happy.”But I wasn’t happy, because I thought I had given up the train and given him a

way out of having to buy it for me. But on Christmas morning there it was, under the tree.

Well, the train is rusting away in the attack and not running anymore. But Dad’s lesson and his love are still running round my track with a full head of steam.

Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (“Jesuits”), is one of the Christian tradi-tion’s profoundest mystics and perhaps its greatest myst-agogue. However, his apostolic successes, as well as those of the Society of Jesus from his time to the pres-ent, have overshad-owed the importance of his mysticism.

Four foundational mystical events stamped Ignatius’ life. !e 7rst took place at Loyola during his long, boring recuperation from the shattering leg wounds received at the battle of Pamplona. Daydream-ing for hours on end about the stories of courtly love he had previously found in the trashy literature of his day, he also pondered what he now read in the only literature at hand—the lives of the saints in !e Golden Legend by Jacopo da Voragine and the Life of Christ by Ludolf of Saxony. Daydreaming about “worldly mat-ters” quickly vanished and le8 him “dry and unhappy.” Reveries about imitating the saints in their holy follies not only consoled him, “but even a8er they had le8 him he remained happy and joyful.” !e insight that some thoughts le8 him sad while others consoled him caused him to understand that joy is from God and sadness from the devil: “Little by little he came to perceive the di:erent spirits that were moving him; one coming from the devil, the other coming from God.” From this seed

grew his famous rules for the discernment of spirits.!e second signi7cant mystical experience also oc-

curred during his recuperation at Loyola: a vision of the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus. !is transforma-tive vision instilled in Ignatius such a disgust for his past life—especially for sins of the 6esh—that it seemed to erase all the images that had been previously imprinted on his mind. From that hour, he wrote, “he never again consented, not even in the least matter, to the motions of the 6esh. Because of this e:ect in him he concluded that this had been God’s doing.” It would be di9cult to overemphasize the importance of Ignatius’ transforma-tive visions for understanding his mysticism.

Recovering from his wounds, he went to Manresa where for almost a year he indulged his thirst for great penances and long hours of prayer. Severe depression, doubts, temptations, and scruples—alternating with great spiritual joys—7lled his soul. So painful were the tortures from the scruples about his past sins that Ignatius almost committed suicide, and ill health from the severity of his penances brought him to the brink of death.

Ignatius later claimed that at Manresa God had treated him like a “schoolboy” in order to deepen his desire for sel6ess service of the “Divine Majesty.” It was here that indescribable and unforgettable mystical visions of the Trinity, Christ’s humanity, Christ’s pres-ence in the Eucharist, and how the world was created indelibly penetrated his soul. !ese experiences con-tained such purity and certitude that Ignatius confessed: “if there were no Scriptures to teach us these matters of faith, he would still resolve to die for them on the basis of what he had seen.”

!e third—and most important—event in Igna-tius’s life took place on the banks of the nearby river

Cardoner, where “the eyes of his understanding began to open” and he was infused with a comprehension of many things pertaining to both faith and learning. His understanding was enlightened to such an extent “that he thought of himself as if he were another man and that he had an intellect di:erent from the one he had before.” Ignatius would claim only a few years before his death that the clarity he received in his understanding on this one occasion surpassed the sum total of all the numer-ous and great mystical gi8s he had received throughout his entire life.

!e fourth salient mystical event took place several years later when Ignatius and several of his companions were on their way to Rome to place themselves at the Pope’s disposal. In a small chapel at La Storta, some six miles north of Rome, Ignatius had a vision of the Eternal Father with his cross-bearing Son. Ignatius heard the Father speak interiorly to his heart saying: “I shall be fa-vorable to you [plural] at Rome,” and to the Son, “I want you, my Son, to take this man as your servant.” !en Christ said to Ignatius: “I want you [singular] to serve us [Father and Son].” !e graces at La Storta con7rmed Ignatius’s trinitarian, Christ-centered, and ecclesial (a di-mension of which has been called “hyperpapal” [Hugo Rahner]) mysticisms, all directed to the service of God and neighbor.

To be with the trinitarian Christ so as to serve in his Church with discreet love is a good summary statement of Ignatius’ spirituality and mysticism. Another can be found in one of Ignatius’ key exercises, the “Contempla-tion to Obtain Divine Love,” in which I “ask for what I desire. Here it will be to ask for interior knowledge of all the great goods I have received, in order that, stirred to profound gratitude, I may be able to love and serve the Divine Majesty in all things.”

Harvey D. Egan, S.J. is Professor Emeritus of Systematic and Mystical !eology, specializing in the work of Karl Rahner and Christian mysticism. He was ordained a priest for the New England Province of the Society of Jesus in 1969 and joined the Boston College theology faculty in 1975.

Re2ections on the Mysticism of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

Professor Peter Kree" is a widely sought a"er speaker on Catholic apologetics, and he specializes in the philosophy of religion and the thought of C.S. Lewis. Professor Kree" has authored over seventy books. He joined the Boston College philosophy faculty in 1965. !e following piece is excerpted from his book, “Before I Go.”

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Photo courtesy of Lee Pellegrini

Guidepost: Grace on the Heights

13Senior Staff Columns

When I stepped into my apartment-style dorm for the first time at John Cabot Uni-versity in Rome, I had a fairly clear image in my head of how the upcoming months would play out. Until December, I would hold myself to a strict diet of pizza, pasta, and gelato. I was going to throw three coins into the Trevi Fountain, drape myself in a bed sheet and yell “Et tu, Brute?” in the middle of the Roman Forum, take a pic-ture of myself pushing over the Leaning Tower of Pisa, cruise down Venice’s Grand Canal in a gondola, elegantly sample wine and cheese in the vineyards of Tuscany… the list was endless. At the top of the list, and argu-ably the entire reason I came to Rome in the first place, was seeing the pope. I reasoned that

the moment I saw Papa Frances-co, any cold doubt I held in my heart would melt away, and my faith would grow by leaps and bounds.

I have been in the Eternal City for nearly four weeks now, and I have set aside my list and replaced it with one short goal: find God in all things.

My new goal began to take shape in those hazy, jet-lagged days when I first ventured to St. Peter’s Square. The sight of the basilica at the head of the Square, with the great obelisk piercing a bright cerulean sky in front of it, is more than enough to take anyone’s breath away. But when I walked through those great doors and into the cool marble interior, I could not help but be filled with a quiet won-der. It was not the kind of trum-pet-blaring, proclamation-in-ducing sensation that I had been expecting. Rather, standing in the shadow of the main altar, treading over the tombs of some of the holiest men to have ever graced the earth, I felt wonder-fully insignificant. Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

It was a great gift to be so humbled. It was only in that sec-

ond, that momentary relief from pride, that I could feel the power and glory of God in every inch of my body.

The feeling grew when I returned to St. Peter’s square for the vigil for peace in Syria on September 7. Kneeling on cob-blestones surrounded by 100,000 people, I looked up and saw Christ’s representative on earth, the successor of Peter, kneeling and praying in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. How great is the man, I thought, compared to the people. But how infinitely more great is God compared to the man.

In his recently published ex-clusive interview with Fr. Anto-nio Spadaro, Pope Francis shed some light on one of the most commonly quoted pieces of Ig-natian spirituality. “Finding God in all things is not an ‘empirical Eureka’… God is always a sur-prise, so you never know where and how you will find him.” he explained. Amidst my gela-to-eating, homework-avoiding, and sight-seeing days, I have grown more and more convinced that these words of wisdom could not be truer. Certainly, when I first went into St. Peter’s and when I prayed at the vigil, I

felt as though I had found God. It was not, as Pope Francis says, an “empirical Eureka”, but rather a gentle engulfing of my spirit in warmth and peace.

Lately, I have taken to wan-dering the streets of Trastevere, the neighborhood of Rome at the center of Rome that my uni-versity is nestled in, in search of God. I find Him in the or-angey-tan stucco buildings with shuttered windows and clothes-lines strung between them, dripping in ivy. I find Him in the dog that sits beside me in a piazza, hoping I will share my pizza. I find Him in the three-man band serenading the night-time streets with Frank Sinatra melodies. I find Him in the little empty church tucked behind the corner, with sunlight streaming onto the altar through a stained glass window. I find Him in the pink, sun-filled river at sunset, and in the gulls flying low over the water. I find Him in the few stars struggling to be seen in the early evening sky. I find Him in the laughs of strangers and the embraces of friends. Truly, I strive to find Him in all things, because I know that He is there, and I only need to look.

K&+$- R$,"Viaggio a Roma: Finding God in All Things

The child is growing and becoming strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God is upon him. – Luke 2:40

Returning to the Heights for the start of a new school year reminds me of how great it is to be an Eagle. Reunions with close friends, the idyllic image of Gasson Hall, an invig-orated sense of BC pride with the kickoff of football season, and the anticipation of what the coming year holds brings an air of joy and gratitude.

As I settle into my classes and adjust to the familiar rou-tines and rhythms of college life, I recognize a strengthen-

ing of my relationship with God. This spiritual upturn happens every year, begging the question of what it is about BC that manages to renew my faith with such determination. I come to realize that the question is not a hard one to answer. BC is a unique and inspir-ing place—a place to think critically, to reflect deeply, to see new perspectives, to make and learn from mistakes, and to cultivate and share our gifts. As students, we are taught to live our lives with passion, purpose, and vision, so that we may ultimately discover an engagement with life that is vigorous and contagious. The four years we spend here are some of the most memorable and formative years of our lives, and the friends, class-mates, professors, and mentors we meet at BC shape us and guide us in profound ways. Not a day goes by here that I do not recognize God’s grace at work in my life. I am grate-ful for these opportunities that open my eyes, mind, and heart to God’s unconditional love and strengthen my relationship with Him.

Dear Lord, thank you for guiding me to the places where I can feel Your presence in my life. As I begin the new academic year, broaden my perspective to recognize the precious gifts of this wonderful place; help me to see every blessing that strengthens my faith, grows my heart, and brings me closer to You.

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14 Senior Staff Columns

Could anyone else not stand watching the secular media’s at-tempt to cover the papal conclave? I honestly had to change the channel to Catholic TV after five minutes for fear of going insane. Usually, that would be the amount of time it would take for an an-chor to speculate whether the new pope would be “doctrinally conservative”, like Pope Emeritus Benedict and Blessed John Paul II, or whether he would come from the Church’s so called “progres-

sive wing”. They would talk ad nauseam about the concerns of “liberal Catholics” and how they demand change from the “tra-ditionalist Catholic hierarchy”. These terms: conservative, liberal, traditional, and progressive, are by nature political and therefore, they have no application to de-scribing the Catholic Church.

These political labels, as we use them, refer to conflicting ideologies that we neither affirm to be true or false. As a result, we claim that to adhere to one or the other is a matter of opinion, since they concern concepts that are beyond the realm of concrete knowledge (such as the materi-al sciences, or mathematics). As doctrines of opinion, both the conservative and liberal dogmas are declared to be of equal worth and thus, we adopt a “agree to disagree” mentality when refer-ring to them. Now such relativism

may work within our society and our current political atmosphere, but it does not work for describ-ing the dogma of the Catholic Church.

In fact, the concept of rela-tivism is completely foreign to Catholicism. The Catholic Church strongly holds (as did most of Western Civilization until a few centuries ago) that truth is ab-solute and that within man is a natural desire to comprehend it. Through his faculty of reason, man can be brought to, at least partially, fulfill this desire. The Catholic tradition is the result of this search for truth across two millennia. Thus, for Catholics, Church teaching is not an opinion equal to all others, but rather, it is reflective of the Absolute Truth which stems from divine revela-tion and the natural law.

However, the labels “conser-vative” and “liberal” stems from

abandoning our inert desire to discover the Truth. I think it’s apparent that labels like conser-vative and liberal stem from a predisposition towards relativism and therefore are unfit to describe precepts of a doctrine that is meant to reflect absolute Truth. They can only serve to cause divi-sion and strife.

Therefore, we need to stop calling those who reject the teaching on the environment “conservatives” and those who reject the teaching on sexual morality “liberals”. Thus, there is no “conservative” Church and there is no “liberal” Church; there is no traditional Church nor is there a progressive Church; and there isn’t a Pre-Vatican II or a Post-Vatican II Church; there is only the Church - One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. Let’s stop trying to divide it.

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!rough centuries, no branch of Christianity has shown itself especially quick to change or move on many issues. And in some sense that is 7ne- there is no need to go with the 6ow of a certain time period, else some forms of Christi-anity have shown themselves to run o: the tracks a bit. !at is when absolutes get turned into relatives. Caution and mea-sured response are good for most issues.

But there is one issue that is quickly approaching the point of necessity- Church

unity. While there are sides that will claim the dogmas in each branch of the Church make unity impossible until such dogmas are resolved, and others who will say that dogma does not matter, there is one thing each is missing. I believe they both miss a key problem. !ere is a great deal of di:erence in living/dying by the truth of the real presence and living/dying by the profession in tran-substantiation or sacramental union or consubstantiation. !at is, Jesus said, “!is is my body, this is my blood,” not, “!is bread is now changed in terms of substance” or “!is body is now in, with, and under the bread.”

!e point being that there is a huge di:erence in what doctrine is and how we speak of doctrine. !e reality is that Catholics and Lutherans have essentially the same view of the great creeds, justi7cation, eucharist, and so on. !e reason they remain di:erent is that both sides’ interpretations of those truths of Chris-tology, justi7cation by grace through faith, the real presence of Christ have been elevated to the level of dogma itself.

!ere is certainly nothing wrong with having to clarify doctrines so as to avoid heresy and wrong teaching. !ere is certainly something wrong when we begin splitting hairs over whether one side emphasizes that the works 6owing from faith are part of the process of becoming one with Christ while the other side emphasizes that faith precedes all such works. Notice that neither side de-nies justi7cation by faith alone. !ey merely emphasize some aspect or other of that doctrine (as the “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justi7cation” rightly points out).

!e same happens with sacraments, which are a hot topic for Church unity. !ere is nothing wrong with being clear that Christ is truly present in the sacrament of the altar. !ere is something wrong about deciding that the substance of the bread and wine change but not the accident versus deciding

that it is Christ’s body, now elevated to the level of spiritual/divine being, that is united with the bread and wine. Notice that they don’t disagree with the words of Christ, “!is is my body.” !ey disagree over how to interpret it. And any-way, it can reasonably be argued that none of the current, traditional formulae

adequately speak to our modern situation.So, with the question of Church unity at hand and more urgent than ever

due to the questions of great relevance to the place of Christianity in the mod-ern world, can we reasonably keep ourselves divided?

If we believe the same doctrines, perhaps with our own emphases or inter-pretations, and if we believe that when we gather at the altar we partake of the body and blood of Christ and are united as one, then what exactly is dividing us? In my opinion, nothing having to do with theology and everything to do with historical divisions that we refuse to let go of.

I think we would do well to examine that question closely, especially now that it seems that a united Christianity is necessary to combat and transform the modern world and culture, now more than ever before.

I think we would do well to realize that some things are bigger and more important than our own interpretations. !ings like Jesus Christ and the Church that He prayed would be one.

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Who You Calling a Conservative (Or a Liberal)?

Protestant Perspective: Are We Different?

“If we believe the same doctrines, per-haps with our own emphases or inter-pretations, and if we believe that when we gather at the altar we partake of the body and blood of Christ and are united as one, then what exactly is dividing us?”

“Be who you were meant to be and you will set the world on 7re.” St. Cath-erine of Siena

I thought I had everything 7gured out as a college student when freshman year came to a close. I was comfortable with my group of friends, had 7gured out how to manage my time, and knew the Newton bus schedule like the back

of my hand without TransLoc. Content with how the year had gone, I returned home and started my job as a lifeguard at a fairly empty pool. With so much free time on my hands, I had plenty of opportunities to re6ect on my year. Although my 7rst year was incredible, I realized that I wasn’t fully utilizing all that Boston College has to o:er. !ere weren’t many times when I tried hang-ing out with di:erent people or doing di:erent things and I felt pretty unsat-is7ed as a whole. I felt like I hadn’t quite found “me” yet.

“Stay true to yourself” is cliché advice that many students get before leaving for college, but there is truth in how important it is to 7nd yourself in your time at BC and 7nd out what you are truly passionate about. Joining that one club you care about, or 7nding a ful7lling major is energizing and inspir-ing. St. Catherine of Siena once said,

“Be who you were meant to be and you will set the world on 7re.” Although she never had to worry about internships and resumes, St. Catherine understood the importance of being an individual. She was born in 1347 to a large, wealthy family in Italy and at the age of six had a vision that convinced her to devote her life to God. Her parents disapproved of Catherine’s decision and hoped that she would 7t in better with the societal standards for girls at the time. Despite opposition, Catherine did eventually commit her life to God by joining the !ird Order of St. Dominic and went on to become a nurse and an activist. She not only stood up for herself, but for what she knew was just and right in society.

Like St. Catherine, we need to take

time to re6ect on who we are, who we want to be, and what we stand for. It is easy to be in6uenced by friends, peers, teachers, and situations you 7nd yourself in at Boston College. Getting stuck in the same routine with the same people is not only monotonous, but a waste of all the amazing opportunities here. !is is the start of a new year and it is never too late to get on a new track and 7nd out how to best use the gi8s God has given you. !is is the perfect time to explore what you believe in and where you stand. We are the future and the world needs people who are pas-sionate and excited about who they are and what they do.

Carry your own torch and go set the world on 7re.

15Senior Staff Columns

Back in July, Pope Francis issued his 7rst encyclical letter, entitled Lumen 7dei. !e docu-ment was partly composed by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and was the culmination of his series of encyc-licals which addressed the theo-logical virtues – Spe salvi, on hope, and Caritas in veritate, on charity. Un7nished at the time of Benedict’s resignation, Francis took up the

work of completing the encyclical letter on this fundamental virtue – faith.

Latin for “the light of faith,” Lumen 7dei explores the necessity of keeping the 6ame of faith burning in today’s world. Faith as a light is spoken of in the letter as “the great gi8 brought by Jesus” into the world

in order that darkness might not remain.In the 7nal chapter of the encyclical, Francis takes the Letter to the

Hebrews as a starting point for his concluding re6ections. According to the Holy Father, this book of the Bible is one in which “faith is not only presented as a journey, but also as a process of building, the preparing of a place in which human beings can dwell together with one another.”

I would argue that this is precisely what Francis is attempting to do with his ministry as Bishop of Rome. !e heart of Catholicism is communion, and Pope Francis is working to build communion among peoples by presenting the faith in all of its multi-faceted beauty. He wants to get back to the basics of the illumining faith given to us by Jesus. !is light will guide us on our journey back to God.

Pope Francis recognizes that the world knows the stance of the Church in regard to the many controversial moral teachings which it is obliged to uphold, and so he wants to spend his time focusing instead on the light that faith provides as a proper guide for each person’s jour-ney. He is exhorting people to walk with the Lord and welcoming them to begin this journey no matter what their present circumstances in life. Jesus will meet you wherever you are, and then you must simply be willing to walk with Him, supported by Him, trusting in Him.

Each step of the way, faith in the Lord is strengthened, and the image of faith as a guiding light develops into the image of faith as a burning 6ame of zeal for God – He who is Truth and Love.

!e Torch hopes to participate in Francis’ mission, which is ulti-mately the mission of each Christian, that is, to be in communion. We hope to show to our fellow students the illumining light of Jesus which has illumined our lives as Christians and has helped dispel the dark-ness for us. We wish to set this campus a6ame with that light.

The Torch Is Lit with the Lumen Fidei

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Set the World on Fire

“Jesus will meet you wher-ever you are, and then you must simply be willing to walk with Him, supported by Him, trusting in Him.”

“We need to take time to re6ect on who we are, who we want to be, and what we stand for.”

16The Torch

“!e grace of our Lord be with you always.

Today is realised that desire that I announced in St. Peter’s Square, before the summer, to be able to visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bonaria.

1. I come here to share with you the joys and hopes, e:orts and commit-ments, ideals and aspira-tions of your island, and to con7rm you in the Faith. Even here in Cagliari, as in the whole of Sardinia, there are di9culties — there are so many! — problems and concerns: I think, in par-ticular, of the lack of work and its precariousness, and therefore the uncertainty for the future. Sardin-ia, your beautiful region, su:ers many situations of poverty, exacerbated by its condition as an island. !e loyal cooperation of everyone is necessary, with the commitment of insti-tutional leaders — even in the Church — to ensure the fundamen-tal rights of persons and families, and to grow more fraternal and united. To ensure the right to work, to bring home bread, bread earned by work! I am close to you, I remember you in prayer, and I encourage you to persevere in your wit-ness of the human and Christian values so deeply rooted in the faith and history of this land and the people. Always keep alight the light of hope!

2. I come among you to place my-self, with you, at the feet of the Madon-na, who gives us his Son. I know that Mary, our Mother, is in your heart, as evidenced by the Shrine, where many generations of Sardinians have come - and continue to come! - To invoke the protection of Our Lady of Bonaria, the Great Patroness of the Island. Here you bring the joys and su:erings of this land, of its families, and even of those children who live far away, many of whom went away with great sorrow and nostalgia to 7nd a job and a future for themselves and their loved ones. Today, all of us gathered here want to thank Mary be-cause she is always close to us; we want to renew our trust in her, and our love for her.

!e 7rst reading which we heard

shows us Mary in prayer in the Upper Room together with the Apostles. Mary prays, prays together with the communi-ty of disciples, and teaches us to have full con7dence in God, in His mercy. !is is the power of prayer! We must not tire of knocking on the God’s door. Let us bring our whole life, every day, to the heart of God through Mary! Knock at the door of the heart of God.

In the Gospel we grasp especially the last look of Jesus upon His Mother (cf. Jn 19:25-27). From the Cross Jesus looks at His Mother and entrusted the apostle John to her, saying, “!is is your son.” In John we’re all here, too, and Jesus’ look of love entrusts us to the maternal guardianship of the mother. Mary will have remembered another look of love, when she was a young girl: the gaze of God the Father, who had looked upon her humility, her littleness. Mary teaches us that God does not abandon us, [that God] can do great things even with our weakness. Let us have faith in Him! Let us knock at the door of His heart!

3. And the third thought: today I have come among you, indeed we have all come together, to meet the gaze of Mary, because there, there is something like a re6ection of the gaze of the Father, which made her the Mother of God, and

the look of the Son on the Cross, which made her our Mother. And with that gaze Mary is look-ing upon us today. We need her tender look, her maternal gaze that knows us better than anyone else, her gaze full of compassion and care. Mary, today we want to say to you: Mother, look upon us! Your gaze leads us to God, your look is a good gi8 from the Father, who awaits us at every turn of our journey; it is a gi8 from Jesus Christ on the Cross, who takes upon Himself our su:ering, our struggles, our sin. And in order to meet this loving Father, today we say: Mother, look upon us! Let us all say it together: Mother, look upon us! Mother, look upon us!

On the journey, which is o8en di9cult, we are not alone, we are so many, we are one people, and the gaze of Our Lady helps us to look around us in a brotherly manner. Let’s look at ourselves in a more fraternal way! Mary teaches us to have that look that seeks to welcome, to guide, to protect. We learn to

look at each other under the maternal gaze of Mary! !ere are people who we instinctively give less attention to, people who instead have most need of it: the most abandoned, the sick, those who have nothing to live on, those who do not know Jesus, young people who are in trouble, the young who can’t 7nd work. We should not be afraid to go out and look at our brothers and sisters through the eyes of Our Lady, She invites us to be true brothers. And we do not allow any-thing or anyone to come between us and the gaze of the Madonna. Mother, look upon us! No one hide from it! Our child-like heart knows to defend it from so many windbags who promise illusions; from those who have a greedy look for easy life, from the promises of those who can’t ful7l them. !ey can’t steal Mary’s gaze from us, which is full of tenderness, which gives us strength, makes us united in solidarity among ourselves. Let us all say, “Mother, look upon us! Mother, look upon us! Mother, look upon us!”

May Our Lady of Bonaria accompany you always in your life.”

- Homily of Pope Francis, given in Cagliari, Sardinia on September 22, 2013

A Few Words from Pope Francis

CNS/Paul Haring