Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
September 19, 2001
Letters
Catholic investments
In reference to an article in the Oct. 17 Register titled "Faith-based investing grows in popularity": The idea of investing according to principles of the Catholic Church is great. Interestingly, the criteria listed in the article does not mention excluding companies promoting pornography. I endorse excluding companies involved in "abortion," but I'm not sure what is meant by excluding a company involved in "gender discrimination" or "racial discrimination," as today all companies must enforce state and federal government rules on sexual and racial discrimination and harassment.
When it comes to excluding "military spending," even the Vatican has the elite Swiss Guard and I thoroughly believe that Americans would not be free today to have investment choices without our military. We must use caution against over-zealous environmentalists when it comes to "investment objectives that care for God's creation," and remember, as Catholics, we believe God placed humans as stewards over all creation.
Investing should always be done prudently. We should not be misled by "Catholic" in the title of an investment! A faith-based investment I recommend is an annuity offered by one of the many good Catholic religious communities. These provide very efficient aid to the poor in mission countries, as well as a decent return on an investment.
John Gishpert
Denver
Battles won with prayer
The Oct. 17 Register helps us to recall Catholic victories in battles against the sword of heresy won with the assistance of the Blessed Virgin who "is the perfect orans (pray-er)." Not only the victory in the naval battle of Lepanto on Oct. 7, 1571, but also the incredible victories of Sept. 11, 1213, at Muret and Sept. 11, 1683, at Vienna.
It was heartening to read that the Holy Father, as was so often done by his predecessors, has asked people to again pray the rosary for peace, both in the domestic family at home and also in the communal parish family. I hope that every homilist in Northern Colorado puts forth this appeal of the Holy Father in the next weeks and that families respond with daily persistence in this formidable prayer, that we may win also the battle against the greatest current heresy — the culture of death — which seems a larger threat than those terrorists who can kill only the body.
In light of the seriousness of our present danger, we might also publicly renew the entrustment of the local Church and our parish and domestic families to the Immaculate Heart of the Mother, which entrustment, as the Holy Father has said, "must be taken up again and again, in accordance with the ever-new signs of the times. It must be unceasingly returned to. It must be ever taken up anew."
Cyril Grossaint
Solidarity and thanks
Last week, as I was preparing this letter to you, news reached us in El Salvador of the horrible tragedy that your people have experienced in the attack against United States' sovereignty, life and property. Be assured that the prayers and solidarity of the Church of El Salvador are with you in this time of mourning and national crisis. Our Salvadoran people have experienced the generosity of the Church in the United States in times of great trial. This solidarity moves us to call upon a merciful and just God to comfort your people and protect the United States against further attack.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you and the faithful of your diocese for the generosity shown for our country in the collection given to Catholic Relief Services and many other collections taken up after the disasters of our two earthquakes in January and February of this year and the more than 9,000 aftershocks that followed them. The earthquakes left 225,000 families (1.5 million people, or one in four Salvadorans) with severely damaged or destroyed houses. Because of the generosity of many, we were able to meet the emergency needs. However, the hardest part of the whole experience is the reconstruction. The damage done to the infrastructure is the equivalent of the gross national product for one year. Many of the poor have gotten poorer — and to compound our problems — climatic conditions this year have resulted in a disappointing harvest.
I know that, as a bishop, you will feel for our situation down here with respect to church buildings destroyed or damaged by the earthquake. A total of 724 churches and chapels were damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes. The Secretariat for Latin America of the United States Catholic Conference has promised us help in reconstructing the 390 country chapels that need to be replaced. Our people need churches as well as houses. As one old campesino told a visitor, "Without a place to pray, how can we console ourselves?" I thank you for your continued support and prayers.
May God bless you and the people of your diocese in this difficult time, with my assurances of the prayers and solidarity of the Salvadoran Church.
Archbishop Fernando Saenz Lacalle
San Salvador, El Salvador
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