April 22, 1994

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.THOLIC

I

News & Herald Volume 3 Number 32

Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

Way

Vatican Ruling Clears

Bishops To Approve Altar VATICAN CITY (CNS)

— The

Vatican has approved the use of female altar servers, subject to the pastoral

needs

this

Jhe

00th anniversary of the

1

fchurch Centennial Celebration

Homecoming For

Is

Cardinal

By CAROL HAZARD Associate Editor

BELMONT — A celebration

was

a

Belmont Abbey

homecoming

for

Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago.

The internationally-known leader of Church came to Belmont Abbey April 1 1 to help the Benedictine She Catholic

nonks celebrate the 100th birthday of he Abbey Church. A native of Columbia, S.C., he first isited the abbey "an earthly temple »>f heavenly mysteries" decades ago for ordinations and retreats. "Unlike the rest of world, the (Benedictines measure events not in years

l

m decades, but

in centuries,"

Cardinal

nernardin said.

newborn among churches."

It is

"both

jenerable and newborn," a young lousehold of faith nurtured faithfully by ilhe

monks

for 100 years.

tempting to concentrate on glory is only in the past," »id Cardinal Bernardin. "But glory is "It's

ftistory as if

iever achieved this side of heaven. Church

measured not against the brizon of history but eternity. We are

jrogress is i

till

on our way to the new Jerusalem."

A parish priest, chancellor and vicar pieral of the Diocese of Charleston,

Bernardin was elevated to tpxiliary bishop of Atlanta in 1966, fchbishop of Cincinnati in 1972 and fchbishop of Chicago in 1982. He •

|

tardinal

beloved churchman, and we are genuinely

be among your many friends." The abbot greeted Archbishop John F. Donoghue of the Archdiocese of Atlanta and former bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte, and other honored guests. A picnic lunch for 650-700 people was served following Mass. Archabbott Douglas Nowicki of St. Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, Pa., in an

proud

symposium

praised Cardinal

Bernardin for his 1984 "Seamless Garment" document calling for social justice and an end to abortion. formally The Abbey Church known as Abbey Church of Mary, Help was dedicated in 1894 of Christians by Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore.

The total cost for the Gothic Revivalwas $65,000, which was low even for 1 893 The monks contributed labor and much of the wood, stone and brickclay used in the construction was found on site. style building

.

What's more, they brought the first to Abbot Leo Haid North Carolina and built the only Catholic resident bishop

college in the state.

See Abbey, Page 2

next regular business

Officials at the

NCCB

in

Washing-

A letter to bishops' conferences around the world dated in mid-March said service at the altar can be performed by lay people, whether they are male or female. The ruling on Church law that clarified the policy was confirmed by Pope John Paul II, said the document. The contents of the letter were made available to Catholic News Service by informed sources at the Vatican. It was signed by Cardinal Antonio Javierre Ortas, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. Asked about the new policy, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro- Vails said it was the result of an interpretation of existing Church law and not a major innovation by the Church. He emphasized that the decision resolves a pastoral

The bishop,

question, not a doctrinal one.

the national bishops' conference,

may be that one bishop

says yes

14.

The Vatican's

letter

explained that

the Pontifical Council for the Interpreta-

had decided the 992 with a one-sentence ruling on Canon 230 of Church law. The ruling was "affirmative" retion of Legislative Texts

basic question in

1

garding female altar servers but said

was a need for further instructions on the matter by the worship and sacraments congregation. It apparently took another 1 8 months to draw up the instructions, which were there

included in Cardinal Javierre Ortas' ter.

let-

They highlighted four points: The policy is optional for each

bishop, depending on local pastoral needs.

make

his

after hearing the advice of

own

must

decision in order to best

for pastoral reasons, while another says

promote "an ordered development of li-

no," he said. Navarro- V alls also pointed out that the question has no connection with the Church debate over ordained ministries. Service at the altar has a much different canonical and doctrinal nature, he said. Archbishop William H. Keeler of Baltimore, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, called the reported papal decision "a welcome one." The archbishop said April 12 he had not yet seen the letter, but if the

turgical life in his

Catholic

News

rect, the

Vatican agencies involved de-

Service report was cor-

tradition" that has led to priestly voca-

tions

and must continue to be supported.

— Any decision

to use female altar

servers should be explained well to the faithful. Pastors

should note that women

Mass some circumstances, distributing Communion. already perform such tasks during as reading

from Scripture and,

in

Liturgical ministries exercised

by lay people

are temporary tasks sub-

and do not imply a right held by either men or

ject to the bishop's judgment

"Based on the report received today, I would expect our conference to discuss

from

own diocese."

Altai boys represent a "'noble

women.

served "special thanks."

See Girls, Page 3

the desk of

to

afternnon

"This abbey church is but aneophyte, I

became a cardinal in 1983. Abbot Oscar Burnett welcomed his "dear friend" to the abbey. "You are no stranger to Belmont Abbey," he said. "You are a respected, esteemed and

Girls

ton received their copy of the letter April

"It

Belmont Abbey celebrate dedication of the Abbey Church of Mary, Help of Christians. Photo by CAROL HAZARD

its

For

meeting which is scheduled for November 1994," he said.

of local churches.

Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago helps the Benedictines of

matter at

April 22, 1994

TBishop William

Cj.

Gurlin

His Excellency, Archbishop William Keeler, President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, has notified the bishops of the United States that the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, will allow girls to assist during Mass as altar servers.

However, Bishop Keeler has advised all bishops that they must first meet to discuss service at the altar by girls before it can be implemented in any diocese. Only then will each bishop be allowed to accept or reject altar girl servers in accord with the pastoral needs in his diocese. It is also mandated that careful instruction concerning ministries of service within the Church must precede the introduction of service at the altar by girls.

I

can make no decision concerning service at the altar by

the Diocese of Charlotte until the conclusion of the mandated meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in November. girls in


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