The Catholic Weekly 12 July 2020

15 12, July, 2020 catholicweekly.com.au THE PRESIDENT of the Gen- eral Presidium of Schoen- statt International Father Juan Pablo Catoggio released a vig- orous and detailed rebuttal of allegations of sexual abuse and abuse of power against the movement’s founder, Fa- ther Joseph Kentenich. “We firmly reject the accu- sation that Joseph Kentenich was guilty of sexual abuse of members of the Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary,” wrote Father Catoggio in the 2 July statement. “His behaviour toward other persons – especially women – was always marked by a pronounced reverence and esteem, as well as by the principle of physical intact- ness, which he also impressed upon his communities.” Reports of the apostolic visitation made in the early 1950s written by Dutch Jes- uit Father Sebastiaan Tromp were made known by Ger- man scholar Alexandra von Teuffenbach on 2 July after she wrote a letter regarding her discovery to German newspaper Die Tagespost and Italian journalist SandroMag- ister. Dr von Teuffenbach had uncovered the reports from the recently opened archives of the pontificate of Pope Pius XII. She said the testimonies, letters and conversations Fa- Father Joseph Kentenich, founder of the Schoenstatt movement. PHOTO: CNS PHOTO/KNA ther Tromp had with mem- bers of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, as well as Father Ken- tenich, revealed “a situation of complete subjugation of the nuns, concealed in a certain way by a sort of family struc- ture applied to the work”. In 1951 the Vatican exiled Fr Kentenich to the US stating it was for administrative, not punitive reasons, where he remained in Wisconsin for 14 years until the decree was re- versed. Father Kentenich’s process of beatification was opened seven years after his death in 1968. Father Catoggio said that the information contained in Ms Teuffenbach’s article was not news to the movement. “It was fully included in the documentation about the Founder of Schoenstatt in connection with the tem- porary separation from his Work (1951-1965) and is be- ing thoroughly studied by the ecclesiastical authorities in the context of the beatifica- tion process for Kentenich,” he wrote. “It is astonishing that the author – based on the re- ports of Fr Tromp – makes his view of the community and its members completely her own. “From this perspective, she interprets all the other docu- ments, including the letters of some sisters to Pope Pius XII in defense of the exiled found- er, negatively as ‘evidence of a pathological relationship with the founder’,” he said. “These letters can also be understood as a sign of the courage of some of the members of the Institute at that time who, not at all weak, were women who stood up against measures of the Church that in their eyes had done wrong to the Found- er and the entire Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt. “That there were accusa- tions from the ranks of the Sis- ters of Mary is not new to us,” he added. “Fr Kentenich himself gave a detailed account of his ac- tions to his superior after an accusation became known. In this context, however, there was no mention of sexual abuse, neither literally nor in content.” Dr von Teuffenbach told media that in airing her claims, she did not intend to hurt the Schoenstatt move- ment “because they do many good things”. The Marian and apostolic movement was founded in Germany in 1914 by Father Kentenich as a way “to help renew the church and society in the spirit of the Gospel” and is present in over 100 coun- tries around the world, the movement’s website states. It includes priests, nuns and lay members. AN AMERICAN bishop de- nounced comments by a Black Lives Matter activ- ist who said statues of Jesus Christ that depict him “with European features” need to come down “because they support white supremacy.” As a shepherd of the Catho- lic Church, “I cannot remain silent. I need to denounce such a call to violence and de- struction,” the bishop said, re- sponding to a June 22 tweet by activist and writer Shaun King about “the statues of the white European they claim is Jesus.” “Our statues, pictures, stained-glass windows, churches, icons and devo- tions are holy to us,” he said. Bishop Donald Hying is Bishop of the Diocese of Mad- ison in the US state of Wiscon- sin. “They are sacramentals, blessed and sacred, visible expressions of the love of God, poured out in the life, US Bishop defends art from #BLM Bishop Donald Hying of Madison,Wisconsin. PHOTO: CNS/TYLER ORSBURN His behaviour toward other persons ... was always marked by a pro- nounced reverence and esteem, as well as by the principle of physical intactness ...” Father Juan Pablo Catoggio death and resurrection of Je- sus, and made manifest in the saints.” Bishop Hying’s remarks came in an open letter posted on the website of the Catholic Herald diocesan newspaper, www.madisoncatholicher- ald.org , which addressed the broader issue of the need for the country to come to terms with its moral failings in its history as a nation, but to do so with a national educational effort and respectful discus- sion, not through destruction and violence aimed at statues and memorials. Regarding King’s call for the “destruction of ‘white’ ar- tistic depictions of Jesus,” the bishop said, “The principle of enculturation merits our re- flection here.” “In the Catholic Church, every culture, country, ethnic- ity and race has claimed Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary as their own,” Bishop Hying explained. “Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St Juan Diego as a mestiza, African art depicts Jesus as Black, Asian depic- tions of the Blessed Mother, too, take on similarities of both bodily appearance and, often, cultural garb. “In this context, are white representations of Christ and his Mother inherently signs of white supremacy?” he asked. “I think not. Because the Son of God became incarnate in our human flesh, does not all of humanity – every race, tribe and tongue – have the spiritual ability to depict him through the particular lens of their own culture?” “As an avid reader of US history, I know some of the torturous narrative of vio- lence and oppression against both the Native peoples of this land and the African peo- ples brought here as slaves,” he wrote. “In my opinion, the injus- tices suffered by these peo- ples over the course of cen- turies are two of the greatest moral failures of our country, with deep repercussions in our culture.” “We must study and know this history in order to tran- scend it, to learn from it and to commit ourselves to justice, equality and solidarity be- cause of it,” he continued. “At the same time, even the worst aspects of histo- ry should be remembered and kept before our eyes. Auschwitz remains open as both a memorial and a mu- seum, so that humanity never forgets the horror of the Holo- caust.” - CNS In brief Francis writes to Benedict Concert celebrates saint Pope POPE FRANCIS has sent retired Pope Benedict XVI his prayers and condolenc- esforthedeathofhisbroth- er, Mons Georg Ratzinger. The monsignor, a musi- cian and the retired pope’s elder brother, died in Re- gensburg, Germany, on 1 July at the age of 96. In a letter dated 2 July, Pope Francis told his predeces- sor he was praying for his brother, hoping he would be rewarded in heaven for being among the “faithful servants of theGospel.” “And I am also praying for you, Your Holiness,” asking that God and the Blessed Virgin sustain him with “Christian hope and tender divine consolation.” Pope Francis said he was touched by the retired pope’s kindness in “com- municating to me first the news of the death of your beloved brother.” He reiterated his deep- est condolences and “spiritual closeness in this time of sorrow.” The pope ended his letter stating that theywere “always united in the adherence to the risen Christ, source of hope and peace.” A CONCERT honouring the centennial of St John Paul II’s birth is now avail- able online. The concert, featuring top classical music artists, was held on 21 June. St John Paul’s birth was 28 May. The concert features introductory remarks from Polish Archbish- op Stanislaw Gadecki of Poznan, president of Poland’s bishops’ confer- ence, and Cardinal Timo- thy Dolan of New York. The performances can be seen at https://jp- 2concert.com. The total running time is two hours and 47 minutes. The musical program begins with pianist Szy- mon Nehring, in a church courtyard, playing a solo piano rendition of Etude in C# Minor, No. 25, Op. 9 , written by one of Poland’s musical treasures, Fredric Chopin. The program, a com- bination of sacred and classical music, includes Metropolitan Opera so- loist Angel Joy Blue’s ren- dition of Franz Schubert’s Ave Maria and two other Metropolitan Opera so- loists, MaryAnn McCor- mick and Lisette Oropesa. - CNS Institute rejects claims Movement saysallegations already laid torestdecadesago WORLD