am ON
TIIH 13dttH3
»0U33-n03 Sd
%S
Lie
oil!
£80 2*
News & Herald
Volume 7 Number 26
Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
•
March
6,
1998
Social Action Leaders Hear Call For Peace, Justice WASHINGTON (CNS) — Whether
other countries, and strengthening reconciliation and
government to the Vatican or spoke for the church in one of the most beleaguered nations in Central America, their message to diocesan social activists gathered in Washington was a call for peace, justice and global solidarity. Corinne "Lindy" Boggs, the new U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, closed the 1998 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering Feb. 25 by outlining her plans to help advance collaborative U.S. -Vatican efforts at reconcihation and peace. Earlier, Auxiliary Bishop Gregorio Rosa Chavez of San Salvador, El Salva-
Africa and Asia, "while alleviating the
dor, said the church's failure in teaching
Andrew Cuomo,
erful
about justice might stem from
failure
its
Bishop Rosa Chavez spoke Feb. 24 last fall's Synod of Bishops for
about
America.
"Only from a Jesus Christ
frequent failure in our teaching about solidarity as the path to justice lies pre-
cisely here, that
eral as speakers.
not truly encountered him."
Labor Secretary Alexis Herman and secretary for Housing and Urban Development, also made brief
— who was introduced by her — Roberts was making her back Boggs
"homecoming" for her. In emphasized that economic expansion must not come "at the expense of social justice in our workrepresented a
brief remarks, she
places."
Cuomo, who
daughter, television commentator Cokie first trip
United States since taking the ambassador's post in December. She said she hoped the United States and the Vatican could "continue our efforts in the Balkans to ensure that people of different cultural and religious backgrounds live together in peace and harmony." to the
An
Minn.
photo from Cleo
Boggs also voiced interest in advanc-
welfare at a demonstration in St. Paul, estimated 10 million U.S. children have no health care coverage.
ing peace and justice in the Middle East,
Jubilee Preparation By JIMMY ROSTAR
— Echoing
Pope
John Paul 11' s plea for repentance and hope in the late 20th century, two Catholic evangelists urged an audience in Charlotte last month to pay particular attention to God, especially as the jubilee year 2000 approaches.
Combining Scripture with messages from papal discourses and alleged Marian prophecies, Ralph Martin and Peter Herbeck examined the guidance the church needs from the Holy Spirit as the people of God anticipate the next millennium.
is
in the
prepared
Holy
Mary
...
Spirit, just as the Spirit
for the first
coming of
Christ," said Martin, president of the
human
rights in
is
also a Catholic, said
improved national hous-
ing situation lies with cooperative efforts
between
his
agency and religious orga-
nizations.
The
social action directors at the
meeting heard reports on the issues that Catholic leaders were stressing this year and later spent a morning visiting their congressional representatives on Capitol Hill.
At a Feb. 23 presentation on domes-
China and
See Social Action, page 2
In their presentations, Martin and
Ministries.
Herbeck urged
The February conference, called "Millennium! Spirit Speaks to the Church," was hosted at St. Thomas
to a fervent faith centered
Aquinas Church by the Catholic EvangeUzation Commission of Charlotte, a group
Hfe of holiness, a
of Charlotte-area parishioners sharing evangelical ideas and activities with
their
audience to return
on God.
"We can hardly move without needGod to live a life of love, a
ing help from
life
of service, a
life
faithfulness," said Martin, an author
of
and
a long-time active leader in Catholic re-
Evangelization
is
one of the most
important responses to God a Christian can have, Martin said. "The acts of the apostles are continuing in our time," he
added, conveying that the Spirit at
work throughout the world,
is
indeed
especially
predominantly non-Christian regions. Martin extolled humility in relation to faith, adding that John Paul II has exemplified that virtue throughout his pontificate. "The path to renewal and revival in
Renewal Ministries promotes evan-
newal movements. He examined what he called the two main prophetic words repentance and hope related to the "church-wide re-
gelization worldwide, reiterated Martin's
treat" called for in the years preceding
selves in repentance, and the pope
the jubilee.
leading the way," such as through his
Martin said proclamation of the Gospels and docility to the power of the Spirit are several of the avenues leading to a
attempts
Catholic and other church communities.
Herbeck, for
who
message. "There life
"The only way the church can prepare for this grace of the great jubilee
protecting
the future of an
A Time Of Hope, Say Visiting Evangelists
Catholic evangelical outreach Renewal
Staff Writer
CHARLOTTE
know
Christians
appearances before the gathering.
Cabinet and a former U.S. surgeon gen-
CNS
many
a lot about Jesus Christ, but they have
Herman, a former Cathohc Charities worker in the Archdiocese of Mobile, Ala., said her appearance at the meeting
two menibers of President Clinton's
in
real encounter with
possible to transform
is it
people's lives," he said. "Perhaps our
Jesus.
ganizations and agencies, also attracted
unidentified child protests cuts
in parts of
appalling refugee crisis."
to incorporate a personal encounter with
The 1998 gathering, sponsored by more than a dozen national Catholic or-
An
democracy
they represented the world's most pow-
of the
why
spirit
is
as missions director
a
power
in you: the
of God," he said. "That's
hope to the have been united to the life
the church proclaims
world.
We
of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, so there's a life in
die."
us that can never
—
—
greater preparation of "the
time of Christian
life
new
which
vealed by the great jubilee."
spring-
will
be
in the
new
springtime
at
is
humbling our-
repairing disunity
is
among
Christians and calling for special reflection
on
faith,
hope and love
in the three
years leading to the year 2000, he said.
re-
See Jubilee Preparation, page
11