FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
t eanc 0 VOL. 28, NO. 1
FALL RIVER, MASS., FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 1984
$8 Per Year
Pope asks
talks resume
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VATICAN CITY (NC) - Pope John Paul II culminated a series of peace pleas Jan. 1 by asking for a resumption of East-West , talks on :limiting the weapons of war. The pope made his appeal dur ing a New Year's Day Mass in St. Peter's Basilica celebrating the, church-sponsored World Day of Peace and the feast of Mary Mother of God. . It was the sixth time in re cent days that the pope had warned of war and pleaded for peace. j Talks between the Soviet Union and the United States on the limitation of medium-range nuclear missiles have been sus BISHOP DANIEL A. CRONI~ :ioins with Sisters of the Sacred Hearts at St. Joseph's pended since the Soviet pullout School, Fairhaven, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of their community's arrival in the from negotiations in Geneva in mid-November. In addition, Fall River diocese. From left, Sister Muriel Lebeau. St. Joseph's principal; Sister Brigid agreement has not been reached McCoy, provincial superior; Sister Claire Bouchard, teacher at St. Joseph's; Sister Mar on a starting date for resump garita Denis, coordinator of the community's Fall River house of })rayer. (Rosa Photo) tion Qf discussions on conven tional weapons in Europe. Last October the pontiff wrote to U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Boston, New York selections Soviet President Yuri A'ndropov, imoloring them not to break off talks. Ten thousand people in the basilica heard the pope say: "The relations between East and West have reached a radical op posing of positions, with the in Regardless of whom the U.S. bishops in an interv·iew with NC By Sister Mary Ann Walsh bishop:; elect as their president, News Service.' VATICAN CITY (NC) - Since Traditiqnally the 'leaders of the recent presidents of the United the early fall deaths of Cardinals Boston and New York archdio States have chosen to consult Humberto Medeiros of 'Boston ceses become cardinals and exer 'with the archbishop of New and Terence Cooke of New York, cise special leadership because York on everything from a prime topic of conversation of the secular and religious im church-state relations to refugee among Catholics has been the portance of the two areas, he problems, said Father Voorhes. possible identity of their suc said. New York also is complex, be cessors. cause the archbishop plays an Primarily, the church seeks important international role spirituality in its bishops. But During Advent, Bishop Daniel through groups such as Catholic when it comes to the archdio A. Cronin asked diocesan Cath Relief Service and the Catholic ceses of New York and Boston, olics to' observe a day of prayer Near East Welfare Association, officials must also look for peo for victims of strife and unrest overseas relief agencies head ple able to exercise leadership in Lebanon. quartered in ~ew York, he said. on a national and international At that. time, on behalf of The archbishop of New York .Jevel, according to a Vatican of the diocese, the bishop trans Deborah Wienzek of St. Julie's ficial familiar with the process parish, North Dartmouth, wiH be traditionally has also headed the mitted a gift of $10,000 to Cath· military vicariate of the United olic Relief Services, the over for choosing bishops. honored at the 29th annual States, ,he added. seas aid arm of the National Thus, selection of the men who Bishop's Ball, to be held Friday, The selection for these arch Conference of Catholic Bishops. will fill the vacancies in two of Jan. 13, at Lincoln Park Ball dioceses, however, follows the The donation was earmarked for the major U.S. archdioceses has room, North Dartmouth. immediate material relief to involved extensive consultation, Miss Wienzek will represent same process as does the selec said tJie official, Father Fred Nazareth Hall School at the tion of a bishop of any other those suffering in Lebanon. glittering winter social event. diocese and begins with a needs The diocese has been notified Voorh~'s. assessment, Father Voorhes said. by the office of Lawrence A. The school is among ball bene Fat~~r Voorhes, a priest of the Before the apostolic delegate, ficiaries. Others are several Pezzullo, CRS executive director, Diocell~ of Buffalo, N.Y., is a operated summer the pope's representative to the that the gift has been used for staff ~ember of the Vatican diocesan U.S. church, advises the Vati food and medicine for refugees camps. Congr~gation for Bishops, the can of his three choices for bish in Tripoli. Purchase and distri In all, 38 young ladies escort agency responsible for recom op he 'looks at the needs of the bution of the supplies have been ed by their fathers or other rela mendi'lg candidates to Pope handled by Holy Cross Sisters John faul II. He discussed the tives will be presented to Bishop . diocese. Maureen and Mary of' the CRS Turn to Page Three Turn to Pa~e Two VaticlJJ! process for choosing
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Guessing continues
terruption - whic!h we all hope is temporary and as brief as possible - of the negotiations on the reduction of nuclear and conventional weapons." Meanwhile, added the pope, local conflicts have grown more bitter, and "various nations, some of which are very small, are daily stained with blood." The pope also cited as a threat to peace the economic dis parity between tine nations of the North and those of the South. "Between North and South, ,the gap that sepulltes the rich countries from the poor coun tries, 1I1ready serious for many years, has been further widened with the recent economic crisis," the pope said. "The most worrisome feature is represented by the resulting contrasts in the condition of humanity," he added. "In the rich countries health and nour· ishment 'improve, whereas in the poor countries the means of nourishment for survival are lacking and the mortality rate soars, especially among infants." The pope quoted recent UNICEF statistics which report ed that every day 40,000 chiid ren under a year of age die in the Third World. Turn to Page Three
Aid to L'eb'anon ·appreciated
Presentees named
for Ball
staff in Lebanon. The sisters reported that con ditions in Tripoli are extremely hazardous. Bishop Cronin was advised that' many women and children have been victimized as a result of conflict between PLO and Syrian troops. Echoing the CRS message of gratitude to the diocese was Archbishop Francis M. Zayek of the U.S. diocese of St. Maron. As spiritual head of U.S. Maron ites, Lebanese Catholics who trace their religious roots .to· the troubled Me~iterranean count.ry, Archbishop ~ayek laud ed the "gesture of fraternal love and concern for the people of Lebanon. "I am sure that Almighty God will bless you" the archbishop wrotE).