Under the Protection of Our Lady, by Ignacio Barreiro-Carambula, Spirit & Life, February 5, 2011

Under the Protection of Our Lady

By Ignacio Barreiro-Carambula
Spirit & Life
February 5, 2011

http://www.hli.org/index.php/component/acajoom/?act=mailing&task=view&listid=2&mailingid=751

Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro-Carambula HLI Interim President

The more a Catholic commits to living in coherence with the teaching of the Church, the more he is confident in the protection of the Mother of Christ. This confidence is rooted, first, in the certainty of the mercy of God and clearly not in his own merits. We receive this mercy through the intercession of Our Lady, which is why since the Middle Ages she has been invoked as Mother of Mercy and represented in many magnificent paintings as covering all Christians under her mantle. In a secondary way, this confidence is rooted in one's fulfilling the mission that the Lord has given to him within the mystical body of Christ. So the confidence that we have in the Lord's assistance is grounded in the traditional conjunction of grace and works.

St. Teresa of Avila reminds us with her unique wisdom that it a frequent occurrence that the Lord puts through trials the ones that come to serve Him. In some cases the worst trials occur when a leader does not act in conformity with the mission that he has received. The trial in which HLI finds itself today in some ways confirms us in our work, because the mission of our organization, like the mission of any other Catholic institution, is not based on the talents or virtues of one person, but in the commitment of the organization as whole. Because of this confidence in the ongoing need for the mission we have received from Our Lord, Human Life International is confident that we will come out of the current situation fortified and stronger to better accomplish our work of protecting life and family.

We have to make very clear our reasons for not having commented on the resignation of Rev. Euteneuer until this week. First, as put in the statement by the Board of Directors on February 2, we explain our reasons based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in what is required in ""Charity and respect for the truth". Second, until this week we were under the legal constraint not to speak publicly about the matter. There was no "cover up", as some have charged: we were rather following the subordination that is required of the members of the Church to Ecclesiastical authority. Now that the Bishop of Palm Beach has published a statement on the matter, we are at liberty to comment, as we did in the February 2nd statement. I will not elaborate here beyond our statement as to the specific nature of Rev. Euteneuer's departure, although I do ask for your prayers for him and for all harmed in this difficult affair.

On many occasions I have stated that our main solidarity should be with those who have been harmed. In this case, this includes our supporters and any whose faith is shaken by this trial. In my role as interim president I am committed to do all that I can to be of assistance. But whatever I can do in this regard totally pales in comparison with the selfless dedication of two of our employees who have put many hours assisting the young woman gravely harmed in this case. May the Lord reward them for their dedication and charity. Also we are grateful for all the work that the bishops and Dioceses of Arlington and Palm Beach have done and are doing to try to set matters right.

Now it is time to look to our future and the fulfillment on the mission that the Lord has given to us. I have worked for Human Life International since September of 1998, when I was appointed Director of the Rome office. In my many years of work for our organization I developed a longstanding respect for the staff at HLI headquarters and our international regional directors and affiliates. When I took the helm as interim president in August 27th, my respect for our staff grew, as I came to see their hard work and dedication. I am totally certain that with such a good staff our mission will be able to thrive and move forward.

There is no doubt also that Our Lady of Mercy will cover us with her mantle and protect us and inspire us in the future. She has done it in the past and I am certain that she will do so in the future. Please assist us with the charity of your prayers as we forge ahead with our mission, keeping in mind both those who are affected in this matter, and also those around the world who so desperately need to hear the Gospel of Life.

Sincerely yours in Christ, Monsignor Barreiro Signature Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro-Carambula Interim President, Human Life International