'iri'M
OLIC
iNEWs
& Herald
Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
Volume
7
Number 42
August
»
7,
1998
Bishop Curlin Fights Suggestion Of Support For Abortion Clinic From
staff and wire reports
— Nonviolence
MURPHY way to
only
fight abortion,
is
the
Bishop Will-
iam G. Curlin of Charlotte said after news reports quoted one of his priests in a
way
that suggested support for a fugi-
an abortion clinic bomb-
tive sought for ing.
The priest, Father Conrad L. Kimbrough, later said he had been misquoted by a reporter who questioned him about the massive federal manhunt in North Carolina for Eric Rudolph. Authorities suspect Rudolph, 31, of an abortion clinic bombing that killed a security guard and severely wounded a nurse last January in Birmingham, Ala.
He is also wanted for questioning in three Atlanta bombings, including the 1996
explosion during the Olympics that
left
one dead and scores injured.
"The Catholic Church
is
committed
and only nonviolent actions promote the respect and dignity of all
to nonviolent
to
human life," Bishop Curlin said. "Those who see terrorist bombing and other violent acts as justifiable in the pro-life
movement
are contradicting the Gospel
message.
much
as Catholics abhor the
violence of abortion," he added,
"we
must also condemn the use of violence against abortion clinics and workers. ... The problem is violence. It can never be part of the solution."
Bishop Curlin distributed his
—
—
Blacl( Clergy By
And
JIMMY ROSTAR Staff Writer
CHARLOTTE — Are collaboration, harmony and prayer keys
to a truly uni-
versal church?
"Very often as a black priest, you can feel out there by yourself," said Father Wilbur Thomas, "and it's good to know that there are other people around the country that are connected with some of the experiences that you have as a priest, as a religious."
Father Thomas, one of two black priests currently serving in the Diocese of Charlotte, offers a quarter-century of firsthand accounts.
He
is
among some
200 clergy, religious, permanent deacons and seminarians who shared experiences and concerns at the joint conference of
state-
ment to diocesan staff July 22, published part of it two days later in his diocesan newspaper. The Catholic News & Herald,
cus, the National
and sent
it
as a letter to
major
Black
Sisters'
Cau-
Franciscan Father James E. Goode,
Confer-
president of the clergy caucus, agreed.
"We
can American Catholic Deacons and the National Black Catholic Seminarians
church to live the message that they are teaching and proclaiming," he said. That message includes "that sense of membership and family ... and of letting people know that they are a part of this church." Father Goode and Sister Patricia's goals reflect 30 years of collaboration
Association July 26-3
1
in Charlotte.
Like Father Thomas, two national black Catholic leaders said affirmation and unity are important in understanding the prevalent issues black Catholics face.
"We need to continue to be prophetic we minister, live and work," said Sister of Notre Dame de
witnesses where
Patricia Chappell, president of
the sisters' conference.
"We
don't want
be an afterthought. We are not invisWe have been here and we will continue to be here." ible.
parish in
Murphy and
its
mission in
Hayesville, where the 71 -year-old priest is
serving this
summer
as a temporary
fill-in. The towns are small Appalachian communities in the southwest comer of
the state, in the heart of the
manhunt area.
Local news reports that provoked Bishop Curlin' s statement began with an Associated Press story in which Father
Kimbrough,
a pro-life activist,
was
quoted expressing understanding or supwho might try to help Rudolph escape from authorities. If their intention was to prevent him from being killed, he was quoted as saying, "they may be right. I doubt he will be found to be an unprincipled killer." He was also quoted as saying that Emily Lyons, the nurse who lost an eye and suffered other severe injuries in the Birmingham bombing who has asked the public to help federal agents apprehend Rudolph did not deserve support because "she has been instrumental port for those
—
—
In a follow-up report AP said Bishop Curlin called on Catholics to cooperate with agents searching for Rudolph. It quoted him saying: "I don't know if he's guilty or not. But anybody who commits
murder and mutilates and half-blinds people is no hero and should be subject to the law." Father Kimbrough, a North Carolina
See
dai-
ence, the National Association of Afri-
to
lic
Curlin,
page 3
Religious Conference Celebrates Ministry
the National Black Catholic Clergy
Namur
Charlotte Diocese.
He sent copies to Father Kimbrough with instructions to distribute them at all weekend Masses July 25-26 at the Catho-
in killing babies."
"In as
Irish children piay the human-Knot game as pan of tne Belfast Cniiaren s Summer Program in Clifton, Va., in late July. The children of Protestant and Catholic backgrounds are spending the summer away from violence in their homeland.
Bomber
lies in the
are challenging the institutional
between founded
their
two organizations. Both National Black
in 1968, the
joined in the annual meeting.
The organizations address various spiritual, evangelical and societal needs of black Catholics in the United States. Emphasis is placed on education, enrichment, advancing African-Americans in the Catholic Church and promoting the church in the black community. Sister Patricia Chappell said the joint conference was an opportunity to "strategize on ways in which we can serve not only the black communities of
Catholic Clergy Caucus and the National
which we
Black Sisters' Conference have met
church as well." She sees the conference and the attending organizations as vehicles that celebrate the contributions of black
yearly for a joint conference.
The National Association of African American Catholic Deacons and the NaBlack Catholic Seminarians As-
are a part, but also the larger
tional
sociation are peer groups
who have since
See Joint Conference, page 3