Addressing a group of Catholic young adults including Capitol Hill aides, government workers and representatives of public policy and advocacy groups, Cardinal Donald Wuerl encouraged them to hold onto their faith and their ideals as they try to build a better world.
At a Feb. 26 gathering sponsored by Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Washington’s archbishop said Pope Francis has said that serving in public life “is a noble task, to try to make the world a better place. That’s why we call it public service.”
The cardinal noted that many enter public service idealistically, with the goal of building a good and just society, and he said that Catholic social teaching offers a sure guide for Catholics engaged in that work.
“Don’t ever give up your dream of building a better world, but to do that, you need to know principles to guide you,” he said. Guided by Catholic social teaching, those in public life can “bring the voice of Jesus and his love into the world,” the cardinal said.
About 60 young adults attended the event, held at the Georgetown School of Continuing Studies in Washington. John Carr, the director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, had a conversation on stage with Cardinal Wuerl, who has been a key supporter of the program since it launched in 2013. Then three Catholic young adults representing the fields of government service, journalism and health care spoke about how their faith impacts their work. (See sidebar story.)
Cardinal Wuerl said Pope Francis’s love for Christ is at the core of his service to the Church and the world, and that same love should be central to Catholics engaged in public service. He noted that the pope took the name Francis after the patron saint of the poor, and he likewise challenges today’s Catholics to bring Christ’s love to the poor and marginalized. Pope Francis “often says, ‘Go out, go out and meet people where they are, and accompany them,’” the cardinal said. “We want someone to say, ‘Let me walk with you, as we both try to get closer to Jesus.’”
The pope also emphasizes God’s mercy, the cardinal added. “We know God’s love is there for us,” he said.
Pope Francis, he said, upholds the same Church teaching on human life and dignity as his predecessors, but with different words and a different style. “He’s helping us do the Gospel. He’s not just saying it and teaching it,” the cardinal said.
Like all popes, Pope Francis faces criticism from those who disagree with him, Cardinal Wuerl said, but he emphasized the importance of Catholics standing in unity with the pontiff. “Peter is the touchstone for our faith and unity,” he said. “You stand with Peter, because he’s the rock and he’s the touchstone, who isn’t going to lead us astray.”
Cardinal Wuerl said that Pope Francis is challenging today’s Catholics to be “missionary disciples,” to go out and share the Good News of Jesus, and like St. John Paul II, he encourages them to be proud of their Catholic faith and stand confidently in its truth. The New Evangelization can then unfold in places like around the water cooler or at Starbucks, Cardinal Wuerl said, pointing to situations where Catholics can stand up for their faith when people might be misrepresenting or misunderstand what the Church teaches. The cardinal encouraged the Catholic young adults to take such opportunities to share their faith, perhaps saying, “I have another take on that.” He added, “If enough voices are heard, enough hearts will be changed, and the world will change.”
Fielding questions from the audience, Cardinal Wuerl was asked about the role of women in the Catholic Church, and he said that historically, and now, Catholic women have held important leadership positions in the Church in this country. He noted that women lead three key national Catholic agencies in the United States: Dr. Carolyn Woo, the president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services; Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who serves as president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Health Association; and Dominican Sister Donna Markham, who in June becomes the new president of Catholic Charities USA. He also noted that women hold many of the key administrative posts in the Archdiocese of Washington, including Cynthia DeSimone Weiler, the chancellor and general counsel, and Angela Flood, the secretary of communications.
In response to a question about suffering Christians in the Middle East and other parts of the world, Cardinal Wuerl said it is crucial for Catholics to speak out, pray and support humanitarian assistance for them. History has shown that silence is the ally of atrocities, the cardinal said. “All around the world, there are Christians paying with their lives for their faith…We can’t be silent. We can’t allow that to go on,” he said.
Asked about Pope Francis’s upcoming visit to Washington, the cardinal noted that “nothing is official” about the trip yet, except for the Holy Father’s planned Sept. 24 address to a joint meeting of Congress, announced recently by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. The cardinal said the pope will bring “a vibrant message of reconciliation and caring for one another.” Praising the group of young adult leaders, Cardinal Wuerl said, “If he (the pope) sees the faces of people like yourself, he’ll go away with a lot of hope.”
