Archbishop /willing to
ordain married man,
FATHER JOSEPH M. Costa, moderator of Pax Christi of Southeastern Massachusetts, addresses congregation at Mass for peace offered last Sunday at St. Vincent's Home, Fall River, (Jack Foley photo, courtesy of Fall River Herald News)
Racism seen rising
Continued from Page One speak, New Orleans Archbishop Francis B. Schulte said that ,"recently in several parts of the United States there has been a resurgence of distrust and enmity among people of different backgrounds and ethnic heritages." Bishop Francis noted that the u.s. bishops' 1979 letter declared racism "a sin," but "you seldom hear that proclaimed from the pulpit," he said, stressing that it was time for priests to "talk about racism and its effects." "They are the leadership in the - - - - IflHlshes·wno should model Gospel values, particularly when we see racism on the rise," he said. "Racism is such a negative thing. It feeds on the fears of the people. The church has to speak out, to respond in a positive way." His workshops. he said, address the fear priests may have in speaking out about racism, a fear that "people will reject the teaching and us."
"The real fear is that people may diminish support of the parish financially and in other ways," he said. Bishop Francis said in his view it is young people of college age who are fueling the resurgence of racism. "They will rally for anti-apartheid in South Africa and cheer Nelson Mandela, but they object to minorities too close to home," he said. He said he sees a growing number of people in places such as col" lege campuses deriding miRorft.ies,"They are ignorant of the importance of these cultures and their contributions to our country," he said. "The students are picking up on that attitude. and it's reflected in the rise of racism and the strong bias against homosexuals. It shows a lack of respect for the dignity of individuals." Many people say the church shouldn't be involved in politics when it comes to issues like racism. Bishop Francis said, but he sees
such issues as more of a reason to be involved. "When laws. politics and politicians are immoral, the church has a moral right to speak up about their actions," he said. A prime example, he said, is abortion. "People risk- civil disobedience and demonstrate to protest the Supreme Court's decision on abortion." The church cannot tell people "whom to vote for, but we can urge them to vote for people who have moral consciences." Bishop Franeis added that 1I0t all has been negative in race relations since the 1960s. For example, he noted that in New Orleans the relationship between blacks and whites "is superior to that of the Northeast, where I live, both socially and economically." Past isolation in schools and in the workplace has been replaced by "tremendous social contact." he said.
Peace
• Right Intention: Some Intentions, such as punishing an aggressor or recovering material possesslons,are not considered sufficient justification for the violence of war. Others, such as protection of human rights and defense against real or threatened Injury, may Justify war.
Continued from Page One fered a Mass for peace Jan. 13 at ·St. Vincent's Home, Fall River. Celebrant Father Joseph Costa, moderator ofthe group, reminded those present that "we cannot witness to nonviolence unless we ourselves are rooted in peace." Following the Mass, those in attendance gathered to discuss responses to the Persian Gulf crisis. It was voted to send a telegram to President Bush and to express gratitude to Massachusetts congressmen who unanimously opposed United States aggression against Iraq. Members participated Monday in a two-hour peace vigil at Fall River Government Center.
• Last resort: Military action Is justified only when all peaceful alternatives to deter or reverse aggression have been exhausted. '
Theologian retires
• Probability of success: There must be a sufficiently clear prospect of success to justify the human and other costs of engaging In war.
WASHINGTON (CNS) - Jesuit theologian Father Walter J. Burghardt has retired as editor in chief of Theological Studies, the leading Catholic North American theologicaljournaJ. He was editor in chief of the quarterly for 24 years and for 21 years before that was its managing editor. Succeeding him is Father RobertJ. Daly, a Jesuit theologian at Boston College.
Catholic moral tradition spells out the criteria fqr a -just war." In the use of armed force the U.S. bishops have stressed that all the criteria, not just some, must be met simUltaneously before war can be considered morally justified. These are the just war criteria: • Just cause: War must be necessary to deter or repel unjust aggression. • Competent authority: The appropriate lawful authorities must authorize the use of force.
• Proportionality of goals: The human and other costs of war must be measured against the values at stake and the anticipated outcome. • Proportionality of means: In the conduct of the war, the military means used must be commensurate with the evil that one Is seeking to overcome. • Discrimination: The principle of non-combatant Immunity must be preserved. Civilian populations cannot be targeted. . Cl991 eNS Graphics
MILWAUKEE (CNS) - In a community assembly with a Liturgy draft pastoral sent to his priests, of the Word presided over by a Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert deacon or layperson - "is not traG. Weakland said that to meet ditional in the Catholic Church." eucharistic needs of Catholics in "Ifit were to last for many years priest-short areas he "would be I do not see how the Catholic idenwilling" to consider ordaining a tity could be maintained," he wrote. married man. "We would become a different He stressed that he would seek kind of church that would not be papal clearance and would con- based on gathering around the sider the possibility only for a eucharistic sacrifice." priestless community of proven "We are a eucharistic church.... faith. We are a sacramental church," he "I see at this moment no other said. "We are not true to our way outofthis very difficult situa- Catholic identity if we minimize tion.... I see no other solution," the the importance of word and sacarchbishop wrote'. rament, celebrated in common." He sent the 24-page draft docThe archbishop emphasized the ument, titled "Facing the Future provisional nature of the draft text with Hope," to all priests of the and said he hopes to rewrite the archdiocese, asking them to sub- document in about six months, mit their comments to the Archdi- after studying responses from his .__ -pnesKaridpeople. . - - - ooe-safr-£-mmcil-of fuests... Lay people are being consulted Issues he dealt with, in addi~ion on the proposed pastoral through to ordination of married men, the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council. included development of lay minIn his draft statement, Archbi- istries and the role of deacons in shop Weakland proposed that if a parishes, criteria for making decipriestless Catholic community met sions about preserving, closing, certain conditions of faith and merging or consolidating parishes, vitality, "I would be willing to help and changes in the role of priests in . the community surface a qualified charge of two or three parishes candidate for ordained priesthood instead of just one. - even if a married man." Cost "Without raising false expectations or unfounded hopes for him "This world in arms is not spendor the community," he added, he ing money alone. It is spending the would "present such a candidate" sweat of its laborers, the genius of to the pope for "light and its scientists, the hopes of its chilguidance." .dren." - Dwight D. Eisenhower "In such a case we would have done all possible at the local level '\ and could feel that we had been \~~. responsible stewards of God's ~\ goods arid graces," he wrote. j Last fall Pope John Paul II strongly reaffirmed mandatory celibacy for priests of the Latin ritt: ~jjrYerseverance and saidifielSsue was not open to debate at the world Synod of We adore Thee, 0 Holy Bishops, which met last October Trinity! We reverence Thee; to discuss priestly formation. thank Thee with humblwe However, the ratio of U.S. est sentiments of gratitude Catholic parishioners to priests has risen from 750-1 in the midfor having been pleased to 1960s to 2,000-1 today, and is reveal to us this most glorexpected to reach more than 3,000-1 ious and incomprehensible by the year 2005. mystery. Grant that, by perArchbishop Weakland said that severing in this faith until as the priest shortage grows "we are worried about two things: the death, we may see and glorvitality of our faith communities ify in heaven what we believe and the health of those priests who here below on earth - one will have to serve larger numbers God in three divine Perof faithful with fewer hands." sons, the Father, the Son He said the present practice in U.S. parishes where a priest is not and the Holy Spirit. Amen. available for Sunday Mass - a
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WOUNDED KNEE MASS: Deacon Ben Black Bear Jr., left, prays as Bishop Charles J. Chaput of Rapid City, SO, uses an eagle feather to bless the altar during a memorial Mass in Wounded Knee, SO, commemorating the massacre of some 200 Sioux Indians a century ago at the Battle of Wounded Knee, the last major confrontation between Indians and U.S. troops. (CNS photo)