MISSIONARY TRIP TO ROME—Reported by Joseph Meaney, March 24-30, 2010.

ANNUAL PRO-LIFE COMMEMORATION ON THE TIBER
My latest pro-life missionary journey to Rome was special. It came as I am preparing to move back to the Eternal City with my little family later this year to do graduate work at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. I shall continue to serve with Human Life International and oversee our expansion in Africa as I study Bio-Ethics. Many longtime HLI supporters will recall that I was chosen to found our HLI Rome office in 1998 and only came back to the United States in 2002.

It was an honor to be invited by the Pontifical Council for the Family to an international seminar to study Pope John Paul the Great's encyclical letter Evangelium vitae and the world pro-life situation. It so happened that the first day of the meeting coincided with the funeral of the Apostle of Life, Fr. Paul Marx, OSB. Cardinal Ennio Antonelli said a special prayer for the repose of the soul of HLI's founder, and I was gratified to see that the select group of pro-lifers present included a large number of Fr. Marx's spiritual children. HLI's affiliate leaders from Brazil and Zimbabwe attended, as well as our own Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro from the HLI Rome office.

NEW GUIDELINES FOR MARRIAGE PREPARATION
One of the greatest initiatives from this meeting was the decision that the Council for the Family will formulate and distribute worldwide guidelines for Catholic marriage preparation. It was the consensus view of the international meeting that the current situation in many dioceses is unacceptable. Couples come in for a weekend session and are then deemed "prepared" to make a life-long commitment to Catholic marriage and family life. The contrast is especially stark when one compares "marriage preparation" to the years of formation required for ordination or making permanent religious vows. Clearly our modern culture no longer supports marriage, the defense of life or family values as traditional societies did. HLI will support the Council for the Family in every way we can as this new effort takes shape to better prepare Catholics for the sacrament of Holy Matrimony.

The Church must adapt to defend the faithful as the world faces a crisis in marriage. Not only are fewer people getting and staying married today, but there is a huge amount of confusion concerning the very definition of marriage. One has to reiterate and defend the common sense notion that marriage is only between one man and one woman. In the midst of such sad facts, it is heartening to see at least some glimmers of light. I learned recently that Catholic marriages in the USA have the least chance of breaking up of any Christian denomination.

There are, of course, many encouraging signs in Rome for faithful Catholics. One of the best is the presence of so many zealous young seminarians eagerly preparing to enter the Lord's vineyard. I had the pleasure of seeing Joseph Bergida, who is from my own parish of St. John the Baptist in Front Royal, Virginia. He kindly gave me a tour of the North American College, where diocesan seminarians from the USA stay while studying in Rome. Our own president, Fr. Tom Euteneuer, was sent there by his Florida diocese. The NAC, as it is called, has spectacular views of St. Peter's Basilica from its prominent position on the Janiculum hill. It is now also full to bursting with seminarians, which is a first since the 1960s. Joseph Bergida introduced me to several other seminarians while we visited. Another blessing in Rome is Archbishop Raymond Burke, who is the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the high court of the Church. He never misses an opportunity to defend Catholic teaching and the right to life.

HLI ROME MAKING A DIFFERENCE WITH PRIESTS AND SEMINARIANS
HLI has a flourishing outreach to seminarians, priests and religious studying in Rome. Msgr. Barreiro has built one of the finest libraries in Rome that focuses on Bio-Ethics and Moral Theology as well as life and family topics. A big draw for students is the expert advice and personal assistance that Msgr. Barreiro provides. In many cases he has even suggested good topics for licentiate and doctoral dissertations. Certainly some come because HLI has the generous policy of allowing serious students to use our photocopier. Our office location is ideal - only a few minutes walk from St. Peter's Square.

The HLI Seminarians for Life Newsletter is widely distributed in Rome. Msgr. Barreiro edits and frequently writes the Italian-language version. I look forward to joining Msgr. in giving many pro-life talks to seminarians once I return to Rome. We have a close relationship with several new congregations that send their men to study in Rome such as the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) and the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. Our own chaplain in the USA, Fr. Frank Papa, is a SOLT father.

TIBER ISLAND PRO-LIFE EVENT
It was a privilege to participate in the annual pro-life commemoration held on the Tiber Island. This symbolic place was chosen for several reasons. The island houses one of the famous Catholic hospitals in Rome and gives pro-lifers ready access to the river. Several years ago an environmentalist Italian politician complained that the bodies of aborted children were being dumped into the Tiber River. His concern was not that innocent children were being slaughtered by abortion or that their mortal remains were not being given a decent burial. No, he railed about the "pollution of the environment."

All decent people who learned of these comments were outraged, and a pro-life group called Militia Christi decided to do something about it. Every spring they hold a rally and prayer vigil to honor the innocent victims of abortion. Msgr. Barreiro had the honor of blessing the wreath the pro-lifers brought and casting it into the Tiber in a simple but moving ceremony. I spoke briefly to the gathered crowd and encouraged them. A large banner placed on the island proclaimed the pro-life message to those passing by on a nearby bridge or going along either bank of the Tiber.

PRO-LIFE WORK IN THE MEDIA
One of the great strengths of HLI is our expertise on the international pro-life situation. There are few places in the world where we do not have a presence, and every year we expand our outreach. This leads to frequent opportunities to spread the pro-life message on radio or television programs, as well as in the written press and on the Internet.

I am fortunate to have several good personal media contacts in Rome. I saw Charles Collins who works in the English section of Vatican Radio. In the past I have given interviews to Vatican Radio in all of the languages I can speak: English, French, Spanish and Italian. Another great friend of my wife and myself in Rome is Mary Shovlain. She has her own company that produces Catholic documentaries and news. Her work is frequently on EWTN, the Global Catholic Network. She was producing a documentary on the Vatican's Sistine Chapel when I was visiting. It is wonderful to have such great Catholics upholding the Faith in the media.

My wife, Marie, and I are very much looking forward to going to Rome for a few years. Our little daughter, Therese Marie, will be learning Italian it seems! HLI shall be having a wonderful Prayer Congress for Life in Rome this coming October 5-10th. Please consider coming.

We are also hosting a unique Rome pilgrimage with Fr. Euteneuer and Msgr. Barreiro that you can participate in! It will coincide with the end of the last few days of the Congress and will go to many of the unique shrines in Rome and Italy. Visit www.hli.org to register and for more information.