Maronite Voice - Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn

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What are our Rights andResponsibilities When it Comes toChildren?by Bishop Gregory MansourNews of the octuplets born in California has elicited astrong response from many people. Perhaps it wasbecause the mother was a single mom who wanted tohave more children (she already had six all from in vitrofertilization); or because her father seemed angry about allthe publicity and her mother said she preferred that herdaughter would have been a kindergarten teacher if she lovedchildren so much; or because the fertility doctor compliedwith her wishes, took an undisclosed sperm donor, fertilizedher egg, then planted eight tiny embryos in her womb.Perhaps it was because of all the above reasons thatcommentators opined that someone should regulate humanbehavior, human decisions, and should intervene in aperson’s moral decisions, which affect the lives of so many.In this case, those affected by her choices were her parents,her other children (one with special needs), her eight newchildren, the neighborhood where she lives, the hospital thatserved the premature infants and the sperm donor of theoctuplets, who is also the same for the other six children. Oneperson’s choices affect many people.After thinking of these moral concerns, I became evermore grateful to have the guidance of reason and faith,especially in the form of the recent Catholic documententitled On Human Dignity, which brings importantbioethical principles to bear on the subject of in vitrofertilization, the sacred gift of life, the dignity of the unbornchild, and what it means to be responsible parents. I wouldsummarize in my own words the document in this way:Adults do not have a right to have children, they have aresponsibility. Children have all the rights. They havethe right to come into this world in a natural way,through a loving human sexual embrace of parents wholove each other and are committed to each other inmarriage. They have the right to life and the right todignity. They have the right to parents (a man and awoman). They have the right to be raised, educated andintroduced to life with respect and love. This moralprinciple, which is really just common sense andsensitivity to children, should guide every aspect of lifefrom in vitro fertilization, to the virtue of chastity, to sexoutside marriage, to the meaning and definition ofmarriage, to responsible parenthood. Children have rights; adults have responsibilities. It isthat simple. Therefore, every sexual act, every scientificact, every human act must conform to the truth thatchildren have the right to be loved, wanted and respectedfor their own sake. Adults are morally obliged toconceive children in love, to bear them with suffering ifneeded, to accept children into this world on their (thechild’s) terms, not on adult terms, and to raise them withthe dignity they deserve.In the case of the single mother of octuplets, it seems clearthat her interests came first, not theirs. However, even if notconceived in the way they have the right to be, these children,nonetheless, are deserving of the same love and respect dueevery child. Children are always and everywhere a gift, andit is our duty as adults to appreciate this gift in a way thatpleases God. The moral principle is clear: children first,always first. Period.For more information on the wise teaching of the Churchon this matter log on to www.usccb.org/prolife/ivf. The Virgin Mary inMaronite Lifeby Brother John M. Samaha, S.M.Persecutions and similar adversities have caused theMaronite faithful to migrate soon after they began togather at the Monastery of Saint Maron on the OrontesRiver. They fled Antioch to seek a safe haven in the ruggedmountains of Lebanon early in the sixth century. Challengespersisted through the Umayyad, Fatimide, and Mamloukdynasties and continued through the duration of the OttomanththEmpire (15 to the 20 centuries). The difficulties of the lasttwo centuries were no less aggravating for Lebanon and theMaronites -- and other Eastern Christians. The massacres ofthe 1840s and 1860s; the two World Wars; and the war inthLebanon of the last quarter of the 20 century continued theflow of emigrants. Oppression, famine, strife, lack of jobopportunities, and other hardships again forced Maronitesand other Christians to migrate from the Near East not onlyto neighboring Middle Eastern countries, but also to Europe,to the Americas, and to Oceania.Always and everywhere the Blessed Virgin Mary waspart of Maronite life as the faithful persevered andestablished parishes and eparchies in their new worlds.Generations later the immigrants of the expanded Church andtheir progeny still maintain their precious heritage and striveto solidify their communities. The Maronites of today striveto preserve their religious heritage and spirituality as theycelebrate their rich liturgical and para-liturgical services, andmake efforts to hand on the Maronite tradition.Among the cherished para-liturgical services is theBenediction with the Icon of the Virgin Mary while chantingthe hymn Ya Umm Allah (O Mother of God). But often theyoung do not understand the deeper special significance, andneed some instruction and assistance toward that end. It isimportant to enlighten our younger generation about this andother revered Marian devotions received from our ancestors,and to realize why they placed themselves under the mantleof our Blessed Mother’s protection.The Maronite Church is both Apostolic and Marian, builtupon the Apostles and the love of the Virgin Mary. OurChurch has journeyed over the ages with the Virgin Mary,whose icon is engraved in every heart and honored in everyhome. Every morning and every evening and in everydifficulty our people naturally sigh Ya Adra (O BlessedVirgin). Everywhere the icon of the Virgin Mary is ourconstant companion.(Continues on page 20)The Maronite Voice Volume V Issue No. III Page 12 March 2009
y Beth MajewskiWaterbury ConnecticutYouth RetreatSister Marla Marie (center) with members of Our Lady ofLebanon Church’s MYO in Waterbury, Conn. Fr.Dominique Hanna, Assistant Pastor of Our Lady of theCedars in Boston, Mass., and a member of the EparchialVocation team is to the right.The MYO at the Our Lady of Lebanon Church inWaterbury, Conn., was honored and grateful to SisterMarla Marie of the Maronite Servants of Christ theLight for being the presenter at our mini-retreat on Saturday,February 7, 2009.The young adults as well as the MYO especially enjoyedthe fun activity of "The Cell Phone vs. The Bible." Inaddition, Sister Marla Marie taught the youth a well-neededlesson of how to locate and cross reference scripture passagesin the Bible. The most relevant message that Sister conveyedwas to dig into the Word of God (who is the basis of ourfaith) to nourish ourselves with prayer, guidance, and innerpeace. Chicago, IllinoisMYO Group Hits the GroundRunningby Pierrette MalekThe dire economic situation in the United States affectsnot only Main Street and Wall Street, but also ourstreets. The confidence that we all used to hold in ourjobs, homes and investments has turned into uncertainty anddiscomfort. These types of difficult situations are bound tohappen and are sometimes out of our control. The mosteffective way to combat life’s challenges is to unite andsupport each other in every way possible. This is animportant lesson that Monsignor Alfred Badawi, SubdeaconJohn & Mrs. Bobbie Sfire and the directors of Chicago’sMaronite Youth Organization voice to every member.Our vision is to build each participant’s character bystriving for three pillars: spiritual, service and social growth.Any event that the MYO sponsors must target at least one ofthe pillars. We believe that bonding through social andservice events will help the teenagers grow closer and morecomfortable with one another. Building this bond sociallywill help the group to grow spiritually because members willfeel more secure in sharing their thoughts and feelings atspiritual events.With the pillars in mind, the MYO has had a busy season.In December, we volunteered at Faith Food Pantry, Illinois’largest food pantry. This annual service event attracts a largenumber of MYO members and their families. It exposes themto social issues that they must acknowledge and discuss. It isan event that we all look forward to because it gives us achance to give back to our fellow citizens and realize theblessings that God has bestowed upon us.In January, we held an informal social gathering inShaker Hall. Each member brought an appetizer or dessert,Msgr. Badawi kindly provided a Chicago-style pizza dinnerand the advisors provided the music, movies and games. Aswith any Lebanese event, there was great food, funentertainment and, of course, plenty of leftovers. The eventwas meant to bring everyone together for the first time in theNew Year. The members got the chance to catch up, take astudy break from their finals and brainstorm ideas for newMYO fundraisers and events.One week later, the members carpooled to Grant Park’sice skating rink, located in downtown Chicago. After hoursof skating, or trying to, and a couple of falls—(okay, weadmit it, we had several falls!), the group made it in one pieceto a local restaurant. We enjoyed a family-style dinner filledwith interesting topics of discussion and laughter.The service and social events held throughout the pastcouple of months have prepared the members for theupcoming spiritual event. The members connected at theseevents and have formed strong relationships that will groweven stronger at the retreats. Our Lady of Lebanon is honoredto welcome Most Reverend Stephen Hector Doueihi, BishopEmeritus of the Eparchy of Saint Maron, who will be leadingthis year’s parish Lenten Retreat. We hope that therelationships that the MYO members have built with eachother will compel them not only to actively participate in thisevent, but also to gain as much spiritual growth as possible.The uncertainty in the current economic situation iscreating a great amount of tension throughout America. As inmany other cases, we will get through it—slowly, but surely.As a community, it is our duty to unite and provide supportfor one another through this process. Msgr. Badawi and theMYO directors are making the utmost effort to show theteenagers that this is the group in which they can findreassurance and a sense of stability.Helena Yassmine, Chicago’s MYO elected president,explains it best: “I can relate to the MYO members becausethey understand my culture, my religion and my values. I donot have to be on my toes all of the time because I do notneed to explain to them why certain Lebanese or Maronitetraditions are the way they are. They understand me in a waythat my peers at school just cannot. I feel at home when I amwith this group.” Food For ThoughtTo maintain a joyful family requires much from both theparents and the children. Each member of the family has tobecome, in a special way, the servant of others.Pope John Paul IIThe Maronite Voice Volume V Issue No. III Page 13 March 2009
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Maronite Voice - Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn

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