No Greater Love

By Michael F. Flach
Herald Editor
(From the issue of 6/19/03)

The Catholic Church in the United States provides nearly 50 percent of the total income for the annual Peter’s Pence Collection for the Works of the Holy Father. This is by far the top total worldwide.

The collection, which will be taken up in the Arlington Diocese the weekend of June 28-29, will help Pope John Paul II relieve the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable people, including the victims of war, oppression and natural disasters.

With continued political unrest in the Middle East and African countries, such as Ethiopia and Sudan, teetering on the brink of famine, these needs have never been as evident as this year.

Out of 193 ecclesiastical entities in the U.S., which includes the U.S. Virgin Islands and Eastern Rite Dioceses, 102 dioceses showed an increase in contributions compared with the preceding year. Included in this number are 54 dioceses whose offerings totaled over $100,000. U.S. dioceses have contributed more than $180 million over the past decade.

Arlington’s contributions over the past three years have shown a steady increase. The diocesan contribution in 2000 was $215, 037. In 2001, that total increased to $227,999 and in 2002, the total was $233,463.

This year’s Peter’s Pence theme is "No one has greater love than this" (John 15:13). The theme captures the spirit of the Second Vatican Council’s preferential option for the poor — to give to others, to empower the weak and voiceless and to sustain those who suffer. In extolling the dignity of the human person, Pope John Paul II is able to relieve instances of human suffering with this help of this collection.

The Peter’s Pence Collection can trace its origins to 9^th-century England, when King Alfred the Great collected a "pence" from English landowners as financial support for the Roman Pontiff. Pope Pius IX instituted the modern Peter’s Pence Collection in the 1860s. Since then, special appeals have been held in many countries on the Sunday closest to June 29, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The tradition of this annual collection has always found a generous spirit among Arlington Catholics. Remember that 98 cents of each dollar donated directly supports the Holy Father’s charities and that 960 million Catholics worldwide contribute to this collection.— M.F.F.

Copyright ©2003 Arlington Catholic Herald.  All rights reserved.