Doctor feels blessed to be at ringside

Denver, Colo., Aug 10, 2013 / 12:02 pm (CNA).- With insurance, we never want to use it, but we’re glad to know it’s there. The same can be said by boxers about ringside physicians.

Rather than considering himself a necessary evil, Dr. Joe Estwanik feels privileged to have gotten the opportunities that being present for over ten thousand bouts has brought him.

A North Carolina-based orthopedic surgeon rated highly by U.S. News & World Report, Dr. Estwanik is the author of “Sports Medicine for the Combat Arts” and president of the Association of Ringside Physicians. The doctor for UFC 3, he is still active as a ringside physician, a role he started in 33 years ago.

Although he grew up more than 500 miles from his current location, his career has taken him not only throughout the U.S., but to a number of other countries.

“I grew up in Cleveland and had a Catholic education from grade school to St. Edward in Lakewood, Ohio, and then the University of Dayton, which was also a Catholic school,” he explains. “I had theology classes from grade one to senior in college. Despite myself participating in sports, I felt that I could always seek peace and quiet in the church and would actually use the chapel at many churches even on the road, in Mexico, in the Philippines, because the church is universal. On an island in the Philippines, I went three years ago. In Mexico I attended a historic Mass at church. I had the same warmth at churches in foreign countries.”

He adds that, “The church has extended its arms and welcomed me and given me the same message, even in foreign languages. Even in college, competing in weightlifting, I don’t think I missed a Sunday going to the chapel on the campus. It was my chance to straighten up my mind. Many students stray, but I needed that hour or so of re-setting or of, grounding, and that’s where I see the church and theology helping athletes because it grounds them especially because of the notoriety or fame that they gain. Obviously I see athletes grounded in another sense, by injury, and they need faith, they need support to work their way through the injury. It helps make sure they’re not tempted through their success.”

Speaking of boxing success, told of former #1 heavyweight contender in the world “Baby Joe” Mesi having done an interview for CatholicSportsAssociation.com in which he said that despite boxing being a sport where you’re punching your opponent throughout the match, those same people are your friends, Dr. Estwanik is right there with Mesi.

“I agree with him. In the spirit of most competitors you’re simply a participant on the field of play, no different from football, rugby, or soccer where you’re trying to neutralize an opponent. You’re not trying to harm. There’s the same comradeship and sportsmanship after they lose or win after they get past the usual upset or anger after having lost a competition.”

A member of the USOC Sports Medicine Society for the 2008 Quadrennium, Dr. Estwanik looks back on his experiences on other continents and gives some compelling testimony.

“I’ve been involved in world championships. I went to the Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia, and other international events. I spent months living in the Olympic training centers and in hotels. Many former roommates eventually ended up competing against each other in the ring.

“As far as brotherhood within this, I’ve been on trips with 20 different countries attending the tournament and still remember the Islamic Republic of Iran and, despite being American, I sat on the same bus with them, and the U.S. athletes would be trading music with them. So, there is fellowship because of sport. They’d come up to my room at night and ask me to check out a couple athletes because they appreciated my help. It creates fellowship, love, and bridges.”

As someone able to recognize the grace within those situations, it’s no surprise that Dr. Estwanik, who has also been a keynote speaker in addition to serving at ringside, realizes that he is being in service to the Lord when he is out in the field with audiences and athletes, using the knowledge and talents God gave him.

“My talent or my pathway that was divinely guided was to be a physician. My mission is to serve athletes and allow them to continue as they best can and most safely can with the skills God has allowed me to develop. I didn’t develop to the extent that they as athletes did. God has given me the mission to allow them to participate more safely.

“On the trips I was allowed to bring one person with me and I would bring a child or my wife and she has extended the same mission overseas. Lonely athletes would come and sit and talk, just to give warmth and a relationship on the road. I think we’re serving a mission.”

Asked if he has a favorite Bible passage, Dr. Estwanik chooses instead to reflect on something that is productive for student-athletes.

“I have a favorite author. Matthew Kelly (wrote) “Rediscovering Catholicism.” I’ve written passage after passage and hint after hint inside (that book) and I find his writing so inspiring and practical. ‘Discipline is the key to freedom’ (is one message Dr. Estwanik liked).

“I know so many coaches that require young fighters to bring their report card. As an authority figure they require them to do that because they want excellence in all facets of that youth’s life.”

Some of those youths may go on to be boxers. Or one of them just might grow up to be a ringside doctor.

Anti-Catholic Facebook pages worry Latino communities

Lima, Peru, Aug 11, 2013 / 04:02 pm (CNA).- Facebook's continued tolerance for obscene anti-Catholic pages in Spanish are causing some users to question the site's policies – and whether they should keep using the social network.

“I report anti-Catholic pages every so often,” user Carlos Wadsworth of Costa Rica said in response to an open Facebook query from CNA executive director Alejandro Bermudez.

“...and it is so disgusting that when I report a comment that is literally an insult to a bishop and/or to all Catholics the answer from Facebook is that the post does not violate Facebook policies.”

Mario De Jesús Gallardo Mendiolea, who says he is involved in evangelization in the Diocese of Leon, Mexico, claims that Facebook's policy is “very tolerant of anti-Catholicism.”

“They have blocked me three times. At first I thought it was because of complaints from Protestant brothers and sisters because of what I posted on my wall. Now I think that Facebook tolerates anti-Catholicism and is targeting us,” he said.

Another user, Rodrigo Perez M. of Colombia, said Facebook allows “open anti-Catholicism that is out of control and unfettered.”

“I am about to close my account, it bothers me to see so much hatred and venom towards the Catholic Church. There is no control and on the contrary if you make a comment warning about Satanism, the first thing Facebook does is temporarily block your account, as it did to me.”

While many Catholic users say anti-Catholicism faces little rebuke from Facebook's Spanish-language administrators, positive Catholic pages have not been as fortunate. One of the most popular Spanish-language pages, “Memes Católicos,” was deleted from Facebook.

Yhonathan Luque Reyes of Peru created the page, which helped others learn more about the Catholic faith and counter anti-Catholic attitudes in a humorous, accessible way. His page had drawn over 110,000 followers.

In fall of 2012 Facebook notified him that various users had denounced his page for allegedly promoting language that incited religious hatred. The social network offered him the alternative of locating the page under the category “polemical humor” to be maintained on the site.

In January 2013, several anti-Christian groups campaigned for Facebook to ban the page as offensive. The page was removed in such a way that it could not be restored.

The elimination of the page drew the attention of the Pontifical Council for Communications, which noted the deletion on its Twitter account.

Though “Memes Católicos” has been deleted, the Spanish-language Facebook page “Peneadicto XVI” continues to broadcast anti-Catholic and anti-religion messages to over 44,000 followers.

The Facebook page, whose name has a lewd connotation in Spanish, denigrates Jesus Christ, Pope Francis and Pope Benedict, and the Catholic Church. It depicts both Pope Francis and Pope Benedict as pedophiles

The page also directs campaigns that promote hatred of religion and acts of physical aggression against the Pope and other Catholic leaders.

Despite Facebook's prohibitions on pornography, for a time the Facebook page's cover image was a montage that included a depiction of Pope Benedict XVI in a sex act with a naked man at the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica.

A manager of the Facebook page, Carlos Alberto Becerra Mendoza of Peru, is the subject of a lawsuit from Catholic News Agency’s Lima-based partner ACI Prensa for allegedly hacking the news agency’s website in January. The “Peneadicto XVI” page published images of hacked pages at ACI Prensa website, even though the hacked pages were only visible for about an hour.

Facebook's Latin American division declined to respond to specific charges that the Facebook page violated the social network’s policy.

“The conversations that take place on Facebook as well as the opinions that its users express, are a reflection of the diversity of people that use Facebook,” Alberto Arebalos, Facebook’s head of communications for Latin America, told ACI Prensa Aug. 5.

“In order to balance the interests and needs of a worldwide public, Facebook protects expressions of opinion and content that meets the norms described in our policies.”

“I can assure you that there is no anti-Catholic spirit at our company,” he said, declining to respond to the specific incidents ACI Prensa reported to him.

“Every complaint is studied and analyzed in accord with our policies, without any slant in one direction or the other.”

In May, Facebook announced that a review of its policies on removing offensive content and hate speech, indicating that it has listened to women's groups and Jewish, Muslim and LGBT groups for feedback.

The move appeared to have some effects, including the deletion of anti-Christian pages like “Christians I’d Like to Throat Punch.”

However, this policy may not exclude obscene attacks on Jesus Christ and the Pope.

Alison Schumer, a member of Facebook’s communications and public policy section, on June 10 told CNA that its anti-harassment standards “do not cover public figures.”

She cited Facebook’s community standards, which say “We allow users to speak freely on matters and people of public interest, but take action on all reports of abusive behavior directed at private individuals.”

The standards also bar “hate speech,” meaning “direct and serious attacks on any protected category of people,” including religious categories. The company says that some “distasteful humor” does not qualify as hate speech.

Asked if Facebook was working with any Catholic or Christian groups for feedback about its policy, Schumer said that in early June Facebook’s Washington, D.C. office held a meeting with “national faith-based leaders” created under the guidance from the leaders of the U.S. Catholic bishops.

Schumer said June 19 that the meeting was “private” but she said it was “one example of many in which we meet with external groups regarding our policies.” The U.S. bishops’ conference confirmed that the meeting took place, but likewise described it as “private.”

Facebook has been in operation for nine years. While it has come to dominate social media, it has shown signs of stagnating growth and declining enthusiasm among some younger users.

Colombia to host 2014 World Congress on Divine Mercy

Bogotá, Colombia, Aug 12, 2013 / 02:29 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Bishops’ Conference of Colombia has announced that the capital city of Bogota will be the site of the third World Apostolic Congress on Divine Mercy, to be held Aug. 15-19, 2014.

Bishop Julio Hernando Garcia of Istima Tado, who heads the committee charged with organizing the event, made the announcement during a press conference on Aug. 8.

He said the congress will be “a platform for healing the wounds of the conflict that has shaken the country for more than 60 years.”

“All of the problems that we are living through and experiencing in the country pose an enormous challenge, such that the congress can’t be simply a pious experience. It also must have a social transcendence that implies political and economic commitments and very concrete realities,” the bishop said.

The announcement was made amid ongoing peace talks between the Colombian government and the rebel group FARC after half a century of armed conflict that has resulted in more than 600,000 deaths.

Previously, the World Congress on Divine Mercy has been held in Rome in 2006 and in Poland in 2011.

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, president of the congress, called the 2014 gathering a “great opportunity for Colombia because the country is in the process of reconciliation and peace, and the more the message of the mercy of God is made known, the more people are able to live out all of this.”

The secretary of the Colombian bishops’ conference, Bishop Jose Daniel Falla Robles, said that forgiveness is an important aspect of the faith and that “there needs to be peace, reconciliation and forgiveness in the heart, and this demands that we show mercy.”

“We don’t know how the peace process will end,” he said. “I hope we could all know, but the congress on mercy will come after this, and without or without a signed accord, the Church has the duty to work for mercy. It is our duty to draw near to the suffering of each person.”

“In fact,” he continued, “the word mercy comes from drawing near in heart to those who suffer, to human misery, to injustices, to those families that have been divested of everything because of the violence in our country.”

“We need to create a mentality of closeness to those who suffer.”