Salt + Light Blog

It takes a powerful force to interrupt the flow of a city like Toronto. If streets are closed for a parade, drivers find other routes and life continues as usual. Even a convergence of thousands will escape the notice of most citizens. Only two events, in my experience, have actually managed to overwhelm the routines of the city.

One was just a month ago. I was walking to St. Michael’s Cathedral for Saturday evening Mass when I noticed that the front gates were closed. Because of the G20 Summit, I was told, the liturgy was canceled. Annoyed, but already out of the house, I decided to walk around to witness the protests first hand.

A significant portion of crowds consisted of curious bystanders like me. Together, we shook our heads disdainfully as armed riot police marched by in formation, resembling post-apocalyptic foot soldiers, entirely alien to a city like ours.

But the honest among us would admit to feeling a little thrilled by the excitement. Like tourists in our own city, we snapped pictures of each damaged storefront. (Considering the hordes of amateur reporters armed with cell phone cameras, this must have been the most documented event in the city’s history.) Others pocketed small broken glass souvenirs. These touristy reactions were sadly appropriate: as John Bentley Mays lamented in the Catholic Register, the streets were no longer our own.

That was a rude awakening for some of us. A peaceful, devout friend of mine (who, incidentally, was a past guest on Perspectives: Weekly Edition) was also taking in the protests. We had been texting our impressions to each other until he was arrested by the police. The only stated reason, he says, was that he was wearing a bandanna around his neck. With no one aware of his whereabouts, and prevented from using a phone until the next day, he languished in the city’s makeshift jail for 28 hours.

Torontonians mourned their disfigured city. I remembered a better time.

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Kris Dmytrenko

On Good Friday evening at 8:50 pm, I was stepping delicately across the san pietrini (cobblestones) of Rome, heading towards home, huffing and puffing over a series of inter-cultural miscalculations and miscommunications, trying desperately to contain my bubbling emotions. Let’s just say that had someone—anyone—stopped me on my way, they probably would have been the hapless victim of a multilingual tirade that had nothing to do with them.

I was speed-walking through St. Peter’s Square when a cross of candles caught my eye. At the base of one the lampposts in the centre of the piazza, a small group of people had made a cross using tea light candles. A man with a long beard and long hair, dressed in a long white robe, stood looking over the cross. I stopped dead in my tracks.

“What? Jesus? Here? Flaming cross?”

I looked over my shoulder to the opposite side of the piazza, where I had been headed. Carabinieri (the military’s national police force) were blocking the exit in advance of Pope Benedict’s departure for the Roman Colosseum, where he was to soon preside over the Via Crucis.

I sighed and looked up at the starry sky above the piazza. “Fine, I get the hint,” I said silently to He who wrote the stars.

I got closer to the man who looked like Jesus, standing by the flaming cross. I heard one or two from the gathered group speaking a language I could not understand. An Italian man walking by with his son explained, “It’s for John Paul II.”

Suddenly it clicked. The group of people, I discovered, were Polish faithful who had gathered to mark the fifth anniversary of John Paul II’s death. Just as I realized this, the bells of St. Peter’s began to ring to mark the hour. As soon as the bells finished, a silence descended over the handful of people in the piazza.

In my self-absorption and frustration, I had managed to completely forget that this Good Friday was the anniversary of John Paul’s death, and 9:02 was the time he died. Tears filled my eyes, partly because that man is the reason I work today, and partly because I’m a woman and, in moments like this, when one suddenly and unexpectedly finds a haven of peace among the chaos, that’s what I do. There was silence for about a minute and a half, and you could tell that everyone was thinking back to that same night five years before, when we were all gathered here, holding vigil with our spiritual grandfather as he peacefully slipped out of this world.

Here we were: a group of Poles, a man who looks like Jesus, two police officers who had pulled up in their cruiser to see what was going on (and then shook hands with “Jesus” before chatting with him like old friends), a few random tourists, a polish reporter who lost her cameraman, and me – a girl from Vancouver. The silence was interrupted as a loud cheer rose from the far end of the piazza by the Porta Sant’uffizio, where the Pope’s car and motorcade were about to depart.

In the stillness of the piazza, there I stood, figuratively speaking, between John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

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Alicia Ambrosio

“I am well aware,” Christopher West confessed in his recent interview with S+L, “that those looking for flaws in me will always be able to find them.”

The popular Theology of the Body author and speaker offered a forthright response to his critics, who last year sparked a surprising public debate among Catholic academics. Theologian David L. Schindler derided a “pansexualist tendency” in West’s work, claiming that he too broadly links sex with “all important human and indeed supernatural activity”. Philosopher Dr. Alice von Hildebrand questioned his frequent use of blunt, informal language, commenting that he “lacks reverence”.

Moral theologian Dr. Janet Smith soon responded by defending West’s work as “completely sound” and calling Schindler’s critiques unsubstantiated. Then, crucially, his superiors Cardinal Justin Rigali and Bishop Kevin Rhoades issued a joint statement reaffirming their “strong support” and “full confidence” in West, granting their episcopal blessing to the Theology of the Body Institute where he is a research fellow and faculty member.

The eloquent West is quite capable of articulating his own defense and, invoking John Paul II, he maintains that the late pontiff’s Theology of the Body is key to overthrowing today’s ‘culture of death’. Still, looking back on his early years in ministry, he concedes that he would now express some of his arguments differently.

“‘You will come to see that your critics will demand perfection of you,’” says West, quoting the advice he received from a bishop. “I humbly admit I don’t have perfection to give.”

If you missed our interview with West when it first aired on S+L two weeks ago, the Catholic Focus episode is now streaming online.

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Kris Dmytrenko

Where were you when John Paul II landed on Canadian soil?

That’s the question that’s been bouncing around the Salt+Light offices for the last few weeks.

My French speaking colleague Sebastien Lacroix and myself have both been working on a one hour special to commemorate the 25th anniversary of John Paul II’s first papal voyage to Canada. (the English version premiered Thursday September 10th).

Every time Sebastien and myself went out to interview someone for the special we’d return to the office with our hands full of tapes, and our heads full of stories we felt compelled to share with our colleagues. Those Salt+Lighters who are fortunate enough to remember 1984 would jump in with their own memories and inevitably end up asking “Where were you when John Paul II was here?” Even visitors to our studios got caught up in the John Paul II Fest, sharing their own memories of that visit, or memories of where they were and what they were doing in 1984.

I think it’s only fair to open the discussion to everyone who was in Canada in 1984. Where were YOU when John Paul II visited Canada? What do you remember about that voyage? Did you get to meet him somewhere along the way? Are you one of the many children he blessed across the country?

Click on the “leave a comment” link at the bottom of this posting to send us your memories of John Paul II’s 1984 visit to Canada.

You can also catch John Paul II in Canada: A 25th Anniversary again on:

• Sunday, September 13 at 9:30 pm and 1:30 am ET
• Monday, September 14 at 2 pm ET

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Alicia Ambrosio

Twenty five years ago this week Pope John Paul II became the first pontiff to set foot on Canadian soil. In 12 days he criss-crossed the country drawing enormous crowds wherever he went. From east to west he called Canadians to follow Christ, and by his own example made sure that Canadians met Christ through him.

Tonight, join Salt+Light Television as we look back on that historic voyage, the memories and the legacy of that voyage.

Guests include David Knapp, head of the Host Broadcast team that provided 120 hours of live coverage to Canadians, Bishop Emeritus John Michael Sherlock of London who was president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1984, and Marie and Jennifer Brunelle, one of the mother-daughter pairs that gave John Paul II a historic tour of Sainte Marie among the Hurons in Midland.

John Paul II and Canada: A 25th Anniversary airs Thursday, September 10th at 8:30 pm ET.

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Alicia Ambrosio

In the year 2000 WYD returned to Rome for the Year of the Jubilee. On the Holy Father’s message to the youth of the world on the occasion of this World Youth Day, Pope John Paul II wrote “Young people of every continent, do not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium.” We are created to be saints, JPII told us we can be, and to help us understand this, every WYD has Patron Saint. One of the Patron Saints for WYD2000 was Pier Giorgio Frassati. This is very exciting because Pier Giorgio was not a priest or a monk. Pier Giorgio was a regular young lay man, someone to whom I can relate.

When we think of Saints, normally we think of “holy” and religious Europeans who lived hundreds of years ago – people who levitated, or who had the stigmata; people like Saint Francis of Assisi. But there is little in common between St. Francis and me.

But Pier Giorgio lived from 1901 to 1924. His sister just died last year. He was a young man, went to university, fell in love – but he lived a good life and did a lot of good, in particular by helping the poor and marginalised, from whom he contracted the tuberculosis that killed him at age 24.

WYD Toronto’s Patron Saints and Blesseds were mostly young people from different countries, and most of them lived in the 20th century: Agnes of Rome, Andrew of Phu Yen, Pedro Calungsod, Saint Josephine Bakhita, St. Therese, St. Gianna Molla, Marcel Calo, Francisco Castelló y Aleu, Kateri Tekakwitha and again Pier Giorgio. Young Saints who the youth of today can imitate. I would suggest that you go and research the lives of these great people of the Church. For us, there are no greater models for life.

And this is the reason why we need Saints: we all need models to imitate. John Paul II knew this very well. It is no coincidence that more people were canonised and beatified during his 26 years of Pontificate than of all the other Popes put together.

And that brings us to 2002. It’s important to mention that a new aspect was introduced to WYD in Toronto in 2002: the service project. Why gather all these young people together, calling them to live as the saints that they are, and not give them an opportunity to serve – to serve the poorest of the poor, the marginalised and those left out? We had service projects with Habitat for Humanity, with the Canadian Organisation for Development and Peace, and with many local service agencies. After all, don’t we, as Catholics have a preferential option for the poor and are called to act with justice and charity? These service projects were repeated in Cologne and in Sidney.

And this is the most important aspect of WYD. The Pope invites us to go to WYD, but this is not an invitation to a party or just a celebration. The invitation is to go on a walk, under the Cross, together with Mary and the Saints, towards Jesus – in order to meet with the Church and to learn about our beliefs – and to go in a spirit of reconciliation, pilgrimage, worship and service. It’s an invitation to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. It’s an invitation to live as Saints.

But it’s not an invitation to be something that we cannot be. John Paul II said to us, “do not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium”. That means we can be. But it’s not an invitation to be saints if we feel like it, or if we’re in the mood. We are created to be saints. The invitation is to say yes to that for which we are created. For many (and for me too) this is very hard to realize – it’s something that scares us. But JPII kept telling us, and Pope Benedict has reminded us: “Do not be afraid.”

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Why WYD? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

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Pedro Guevara-Mann

In 1993 WYDs came to North America: Denver, Colorado, U.S.A. By now WYD is a week-long event, with three Catechesis days, incorporating all aspects of pilgrimage and reconciliation, particularly between the Church and the Native People of North America, and the Way of the Cross.

The Way of the Cross was popular in the first centuries of the Church, when people would make pilgrimages to Jerusalem in order to visit the different places of the passion of Christ. In the 15th century, Turks invaded the Holy Land preventing people from making pilgrimages to Jerusalem. And so, people started to pray the “Via Crucis” where they were. Throughout time, Catholic popular culture developed 14 “stations” representing the various stages of the passion of Christ.

In Denver, WYD pilgrims were gathered in a stadium while a group of actors moved from Station to Station, bringing them to life and helping the participants enter into the mystery of the Passion.

In Toronto we closed one of the city’s main avenues, University Avenue and “took over” the city in order to recreate these final moments of the life of Christ.

This is another important part of WYDs: it’s not to stick all the Catholics in one place where no one can see them, to “ghetto-ize” them, but to “make the avenues of the city resound with the joy and love of Christ.” In Toronto, Christ was condemned in front of City Hall, and took up his cross in front of the city’s courthouse. He fell for the first time in front of the U.S. Embassy and consoled the women of Jerusalem in front of Toronto General Hospital. He was crucified and died in front of the Provincial Parliament Buildings and was buried in front of the Royal Ontario Museum. Some 300,000 young pilgrims filled Toronto streets and hundreds of thousands others, watched on secular national television (and millions worldwide) while a group of actors moved from station to station. Hundreds of thousands prayed this beautiful Catholic devotion in the middle of a completely secular city. Who says that young people are not interested in Catholic traditions?

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Pedro Guevara-Mann

In 1987, Pope John Paul II invited youth to meet him in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This gathering lasted a couple of days and provided an opportunity for the youth to learn more about their Faith and encounter the Church. This is what the Catechesis Sessions are for. We all know priests. They are the face of the Church to the world. But, how many of us know Bishops? Bishops are supposed to be the shepherds of the Church, but frequently, these servants, are relegated to the role of administrators. The Catechesis Sessions give the Bishops the opportunity to be Shepherds and give the youth the opportunity to actively participate as “sheep.” During WYD 2002, 250 Bishops came from around the world and there were 387 Catechesis Sessions in 17 different languages. And these sessions were packed with youth. Attendance was incredible! Young people want to know about the Church and about the Faith. They want to learn the Catechism and participate in Church.

In 1989, JPII invited young people to make a pilgrimage with him to Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. In the Basilica of Santiago rest the supposed remains of the Apostle James. Hundreds of thousands of people make a pilgrimage every year on the Camino de Santiago (the road of St. James), from France and the north of Spain.

What is a pilgrimage? A trip, a journey… What is the difference between a tourist and a pilgrim? The tourist arrives with an empty suitcase, but returns home with a heavy one full of stuff. A pilgrim returns home with a much lighter load. The tourist may go through a lot of places, but pilgrims lets the places go through them.

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Pedro Guevara-Mann

John Paul II’s inspiration to have these World Youth Days was like finding gold. Everything began with the Second Vatican Council. It was then that, thanks to the influence of some Cardinals, such as the one from Krakow, Karol Wojty?a, that the hierarchical Church made a move to include more of the Laity.

During the pontificate of Paul VI, the Church was trying to figure out how to make this whole youth thing make sense. Someone suggested inviting youth to Rome for an “encounter.”
There is a rumour that John Paul II, after being elected Pope, was on retreat near Assisi during a youth gathering called “Giovanni Verso Assisi,” “Youth Towards Assisi”. I was in Assisi for this same gathering in 2001 – there were some 3000 young people from all over Italy. It was like a mini-WYD. They say that this original gathering gave JPII an idea.

As it turns out, in 1984, the Holy Year of Redemption, JPII invited youth from around the world to come to Rome, to St. Peter’s Square, for Palm Sunday. Skeptics predicted that perhaps some three kids would show up and publicly proclaim their faith. On the contrary, some 300,000 came! On this occasion, John Paul II gave the youth of the world a simple wooden cross – the cross that has become a symbol, the Olympic torch, for World Youth Days. This cross is the first aspect of the why of WYD.

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Pedro Guevara-Mann

Often, when I speak to young people, I’ll start by asking where they are from: is there anyone here from Ottawa, or Quebec? How about anyone from the States? This usually gets the groups cheering as I call out their home town. But when I ask, “who is from the Kingdom of Heaven?” not everyone puts up their hand. And that’s exactly my point: Not all of us think we are worthy to belong to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let me explain: If we are all sons and daughters of God, made in the image of God, then, by definition, we are members of the family of God. And if we are members of the family of God, then we belong in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of Heaven. Get it?

And who lives in the Kingdom of Heaven? The Saints, right? So, if we belong to the Kingdom of Heaven, then, by logical deduction, we are saints. All of us!

It’s true. You may not like the idea that you are being created to be a saint, but you are. The calling is not to be something that we are not; the calling is to say “yes” to that for which we are created. Pope John Paul the Great already told us: “do not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium.”

Me too. I’m just an ordinary Catholic, from an ordinary Panamanian family. I belonged to a youth group and Church choir. Even when I left home at age 16, I continued to go to Mass on Sundays. I never really strayed from the Church. I can’t say that I understood Church teachings, but I never really doubted the Faith. Still, like many other “ordinary” Catholics, although I’d always been in the Church and I always “followed” Jesus Christ, I had never had a real close personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Well, I had had them, I just hadn’t recognised them.

Why? Because having a personal encounter with Christ almost always leads to a calling. Yes, I had had encounters, but none had really led to a calling, until I came to work at the National Office for the World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto.

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Pedro Guevara-Mann