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News & Herald Volume 3 Number 2 • September
Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
Law Says
Cardinal
1993
10,
U.S. Culture
Anti-Catholic, Anti-Religion BOSTON
(CNS)
—
In the U.S.
open season on the Catholic Church," Cardinal Bernard F. Law of Boston said Sept. 3 in a column in his archdiocesan newspaper, The Pilot. press and culture,
"it is
He challenged "the negative way which the Church
—
is
in
so often portrayed
"I
know
treat this
that in this archdiocese
we
problem with the utmost
ur-
efited
gested that the deeper issue
experience of others.
is
a strong
from our own experience and the
"What
America
is
"The Catholic Church takes a largest religious
body
we
in the
beat-
"The second anti-Catholic drumbeat
is
the exaltation of Catholic dis-
he wrote. "The underlying hostility of our culture is not only anti-Catholic,
sent," he said.
however,
cism along
it
is
anti-all
organized
reli-
"The press seems ob-
sessed with a desire to redefine Catholilines
which are congruous
with the prevailing culture: Absolutes
gion."
Law
Cardinal
were
is
sometimes present
in the press."
are the
country,"
"
particularly offensive
the accusatory tone
ing in the press because
said his reflections
set off by several events,
including
a recent conversation about the Church'
bad press with some non-Catholic friends and the appearance Aug. 29 of an article on Catholicism and dissent in The New York Times. He quoted an assertion in the Times article that, according to "most" Catholic leaders, dissenting Catholics "won't easily be driven from their spiritual home or dismissed by a hierarchy compromised by its handling of sexually abusive priests."
"This broadside attack on the Catho-
simply a throwaway line is otherwise offen-
lic
hierarchy
in
an article which
is
Law wrote. He called child abuse by priests "the
sive also," Cardinal
which weighs heaviest on every
issue
bishop's heart" because of the serious, Catholic chaplain gives absolution to a soldier in Saudi Arabia during
the problem.
from Church teachings. But he sug-
today.
battle, a
society's attitudes then or to recognize
what the Church is doing now to address
child sex abuse by priests and dissent
especially in the areas of
bias against religion itself in
the
gested that the media have failed to put past abuse incidents in the context of
gency," he said. "Our policy, subject to review at the end of this year, has ben-
in the press"
Before the
betrayal of trust" involved. But he sug-
often lasting,
harm and
the "terrible
are out
and toleration
is
the ultimate
and
only virtue."
"This kind of tolerance
is
the antith-
what faith is all about," he said. "It is no secret to anyone that there are 'prestigious theologians' and highly placed academics who can be called upon at a moment's notice to deliver ex cathedra sound bites in praise of a brave new Church in which dogma is fuzzy at best and where everyone has a 'do it yourself approach to morality." While the Church is living through difficult days, "they are good days as well," Cardinal Law said. "The memory of Denver is still fresh with the radiant faces and expressions of faith of tens of thousands of young people.... God has given the Church Pope John Paul II who teaches with fidelity in season and out of season, when convenient and inconveesis of
nient."
Gulf War. (Defense Department photo)
God And Chaplains Go With You By CHARLES
BOWLING
JR.
was the height of World War II when I met my first chaplain. I called him "Uncle John," but he was really my It
second cousin. His sister had come to stay with us in suburban Washington, D.C., so she could visit him daily at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center
where he was a patient.
I
was her chauf-
feur. I
was impressed
that a chaplain
would be a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. Father Foley had been ordained
hometown of 933, he was named Chief
a Catholic priest in our
Memphis.
In
1
exceptionally hard on the infantry.
One
was attacked for the umpteenth time by Stuka dive bombers from the German Luftwaffe. Father Foley dove into a shell hole for protection. A bomb landed next to him but
day, his battalion
never exploded.
As a teenager, I was impressed. But "Uncle John" didn't want to talk about the war. He had seen too much. His exposure to the weather and the strains of long combat duty had put him in the hospital.
He
did not do well in the hospital.
of Chaplains in the Civilian Conserva-
He was told he needed his left leg ampu-
tion Corps.
tated
named vicar general of the United States Armed Forces. Together,
and the operation was performed the next morning. When he seemed stable, he was told a blood clot in the right leg would necessitate a second amputation. The color in his face matched
they had flown to
the pallor of his sheets.
Father Foley had been an aide to Cardinal Francis Spellman, whom Pope Pius XII had
all
the
war
—
fronts
—
North Africa, Sicily, Italy and then Father Foley was assigned as a chaplain with combat troops in France.
Those were trying times for the world and combat duty in winter was
When the surgeons told him his arm had to be amputated, he said, "No ... My hands are consecrated. I will not allow another amputation." See Chaplain, Page 10
Diocese To Mark Centennial Of Present Building
Oldest Parish
In
—
CHARLOTTE One hundred commemorative banners will be hung throughout uptown Charlotte on Sept. 20, serving as the kickoff of centennial festivities for St.
Peter's Catholic
Church. According to chairperson Jan Kelly, "One celebration banner for each of our
100 years will decorate uptown streets through Nov. 20 to salute our church as a 'historical and present-day asset of the Charlotte community.'"
The present St.
Peter Church, the second
home
of the
parish established in 1851, has been at its
current site since 1893.
"The banners also signify the many efforts of our parish
community
in serv-
ing the poor and homeless of Charlotte in a variety
of outreach programs," added
Kelly.
a
The major centennial event will be special Mass and liturgy to be cel-
On
Oct. 23, at 10 a.m., a special
5k
Run/One Mile Walk will be staged for the community on an uptown course. Proceeds will benefit the homeless of The start and finish of the race will be at the church site, located one block north of the Charlotte Observer building. Centennial t-shirts will Charlotte.
be awarded to all participants, with special awards to 5K winners in ten age categories. Overall male and female winners will receive prizes as well. The race theme Make Tracks To St. Peter's carries a secondary meaning since every registered participant is au-
—
—
tomatically eligible to win a trip for to St. Peter's in
Rome
two
as part of the
parish raffle.
Immediately following the 5 K Run/
One Mile Walk,
the parishioners are
staging a community Ethnic Feast at the
church.
The food and fun
feast is
being
Parishioners and invited religious lead-
held from noon until 5 p.m. Food, other refreshments, dancing, music and cos-
ers will participate in this centennial
tumes from many ethnic group
ebrated Sept. 25 at 2 p.m. at the church.
celebration.
See Centennb