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Volume
Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
A Very
Special Fourth...
Number 40
1
•
July
3,
1992
Supreme Court Upholds Most Of Pennsylvania Abortion Restrictions WASHINGTON preme
(CNS)
— The
— That women
Su-
Court's complicated decision up-
at least
upholding most of Pennsylvania's abortion
tion.
law and narrowly reaffirming part of the
That minors must get permission from one parent or a judge before having an
ruling.
The Diocese of
Maggi
Charlotte's
mation.
— That medical
was "encouraged" by the rul"Ultimately, we hope for complete
—
abortion.
"The idea of showing
impose limits on abortion, but drew
John Paul Stevens in saying Roe vs. Wade remains a workable standard, even though
the ruling in-
disagreed.
members reaffirmed the "essential holding" ofRoe vs. Wade: that women
those
have a
calling the ruling a
point at
have abortions before the which the fetus could survive out-
side the
womb,
without undue interference
darkness to fall, the flame has grown bright,"
con-
fear for the darkness as four justices anx-
Five
right to
— Two of
those five rejected
all
to the spouse-notification requirement, call-
ing
it
an "undue burden."
— Four
justices
would have used
the
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern
Wade,
vs.
Casey, to throw out
the 1973 decision
— The same
Roe
;veral ministries were announced by
McS weeney
)hn J.
was implemented
McSweeney.
Msgr.
McSweeney
ffthe diocese,
more
indicated the
accessible services
and align some departments
synod goals established
One of
— employed by
the diocese
—
located
in 1987.
Catholic Center in Charlotte," said Msgr.
McSweeney. "Personnel
will
now be more
the
The new
encomasses offices ofReligious Education, Youth Formation.
llinistry,
Young Adult
office
Ministry, and Jus-
Newnan, who has of Religious Education, was
and Peace.
l^en director
Chris
Catholic Conference Center in Hickory.
From his Center,
iiation.
By
Formation will provide a total formaof faith for people of all ages. "The
[(dividual ministries are still in existence,"
'
Msgr. McSweeney. "However, comthe educational ministries into
better serves the parishes
|es,"
he
"We
and
one
whom Blackmun referred
William H. Rehnquist and Byron R. White, Antonin Scalia Justice
—
and Clarence Thomas should be abandoned.
"We
believe that
married women plan-
tial
it
said Roe vs.
dissent.
He
Wade
Roe was wrongly
can and should be
wrote Rehnquist
overruled
in their par-
said the majority opinion,
"retains the outer shell of
Roe
vs.
Wade
...
but beats a wholesale retreat from the substance of that case."
Associate Editor Joann Keane contrib-
court upheld these provisions of
uted to this story.
center.
Deacon Piche
also
In
ity for the
esan
day
to
becomes diocesan
day management of dioc-
Deacon Piche served
as finance direc-
tor for the diocese for six years.
member
He
is
a
of Queen of the Apostles in
A related story about recent changes in
are actually
issue.
CHARLOTTE County
—
Mecklenburg
Court Judge William
District
is
on Page 16 ofthis
see people
who are drenched in that wrong
message; the secular, godless message of
Constangy's request for Supreme Court
violence, drugs, sexual promiscuity and
review of his case has been denied.
perversity, said Constangy. "It
The June 29 decision upholds the U.S.
I
barring Constangy from prayer at the start of
can public to realize
his daily court session.
gone
Prior to the ruling, Constangy
would
begin his court session by saying "Let us in
was free to leave during the He would then bow his head,
our public
life."
The Supreme Court's June 29 decision follows their June 24 decision on Lee vs.
A 5^ decision which said public
invocation.
school graduation
67-word prayer, which
lasted
about 20 seconds. "I
"It's
a step in the wrong
and sends absolutely the wrong message to the community." "Every day, as a district court judge, I
direction
stripped
away
may not include prayers common
the last remaining
use of prayer in school settings. Constangy 's
am disappointed with the decision,"
said Constangy.
how far our nation has God from any
in attempting to strip
Weisman.
utter the
time that
hope that this decision awakens the Ameri-
the courtroom
and
is
we all join together to change that message.
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling
pause for a moment of prayer." Anyone
facilities.
vicari-
have not eliminated or reduced
Case
By JOANN KEANE
assuming responsibil-
the Diocese ofRaleigh
We
Charlotte Courtroom Prayer
will oversee the op-
we
said.
nds, or reduced staff.
Conference
Belmont, where he serves as a permanent deacon.
iminates duplication of efforts, and,
Bel,
Deacon Piche
director of facilities,
pooling resources and personnel,
laith
Ijning
office at the Catholic
erations of the four-year-old conference
lamed director of the Office of Faith For-
!{iid
I
Associate Editor
ment of Deacon Guy Piche as director of the
jfcin
Justices
four to
Court Refuses To Hear Appeal
cese."
Wolves establishment of the Office of
I
The
available in the rural counties of the dio-
Other changes involve the appoint-
x
"And
to continued
requests for professional resource persons
more extensive changes
jaith
adding that they also would support the
Pennsylvania's Abortion Control Law:
"The changes respond
partial dissent.
throughout the diocese, rather than in the
1.
langes provide
•
Msgr.
vicar general andchan-
Reorganization
;llor.
dy
,
said Msgr.
a
in
decided, and that
ning abortions to notify their husbands. increasing persons involved in ministries,''
The
— Chief
making abor-
four joined with three
state's rightto require
Donoghue in the structure of
Blackmun
victory.
so many expected the
iously await the single vote necessary to
ute,
ishop John F.
narrow
"Now, just when
extinguish the light."
three justices objected only
others in upholding the Pennsylvania stat-
initiated by
favor permitting abortion in
tested provisions of the Pennsylvania law.
Several Diocesan Ministries
—Changes
who
The remaining
vs.
Associate Editor
opinion in Roe, echoed the sentiments of
said
state.
tion legal throughout the country.
CHARLOTTE
Roe, Blackmun and Stevens
Blackmun, who wrote the majority
—
Pennsylvania
By JOANN KEANE
O'Connor, Kennedy and
conflict with
case,
Donoghue Reorganizes
But while
justices upheld provisions of
parental notification and other record-keep-
uke Siharath, planned secondary resettlement director for the Diocese of Charlotte's Refugee
3ishop
state
quiring informed consent, a waiting period,
f
JOANN KEANE
has required judicial assessment of
laws affecting access to abortion. Souter said Pennsylvania's law was not in
from the
Luke when he became an
it
the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act re-
ing.
Photo by
were
three
husbands before undergoing abor-
— Seven
to
The
the opinion of the court.
joined by Justices Harry Blackmun and
The major elements of
name from Somsanuk
thony Kennedy and David Souter delivered
making married women account
clude:
first
stages of fetal
serve to educate those
Sandra Day O'Connor, An-
Justices
five-part opinion upheld states'
tions.
Siharath changed his
may
contemplating an abortion," said Nadol.
to their
e occasion.
de-
ing.
the line at
imerican citizen. (See related stories on Page 2)
file
development
rights to
Day as a U.S. citizen. A Laotian native, Siharath became DAR presented Siharath with an American flag to commemorate
must
about each abor-
Life Office,
The
The
offices
tailed, confidential reports
protection for the unborn," said Nadol.
celebrates his first Independence
fetal development and must wait 24 hours after receiving that infor-
tives
Act actually was within one vote of becoming a ruling to overturn Roe vs. Wade. The nation's highest court in its June 29 ruling divided into three overlapping camps,
Fitzpatrick Nadol, director of the Respect
U.S. citizen this spring.
and
holding Pennsylvania's Abortion Control
1973 Roe
)ffice,
seeking abortions must
receive information about risks, alterna-
legal counsel
had hoped to dovetail the two
cases.
"The Supreme Court appears to be expanding the limits onrehgious freedoms" said Constangy.