The ANCHOR
An Anchor of the Soul, SU're and Fi1'm -
ST. PAUL
Fall River, Mass., Thursday, February 6, 1969
Vol. 13, No.6
© 1969 The Anchor
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Black Priests Plan to Act With or Without Sanction WASHINGTON (NC)-Leaders of the Black Catholic Clergy Caucus have announced in a letter to Archbishop John F. Dearden of Detroit, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB), their decision "to intensify our work with Contents of the letter were black people, with or without confirmed by a caucus offidal the sanction of the Church." shortly before 'the start of 'a "We will ignore in the' meeting between members of future, a~y persons black: or white, appointed to serve our needs if there is no prior'and decisive consultation with us before positions are filled or programs plotted," they said. "We will publicly disaffiliate ourselves from the acts and decisions of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops which relate to black people until we are satisfied that the bishops take our requests seriously," they stated.
the caucus' executive com/TIittee and the U. S. Bishops' Laaison Committee for Priests, Religious and Laity, headed by Lawrence Cardinal Shehan of Baltimore. The letter expressed the black priests'· anger that the ·bishops have ignored ,the caucus and black priests generally. It chided the bishops for their "apparent unwillingness'" ... ¢ to enter into meaningful and on-going communication with us." Turn to Page Six
Sees Use of'Contraception Pathological Condition PHILADELPHIA (NC)-Christopher Derrick told a group of priests and seminarians here that widespread modern acceptance of artifical contraceptfon is a peculiarity of a moral, culture in a pathological condition. The '. British scholar-author, in a lecture at St. Charles Bor- tically without experience, or is the world sunk so deeply into · 'd h . romeo Semmary, sal t at m a lovely illusion that it resents' previous centuries contra- the realist who would jerk ceptive devices were used by those who 'acted against their own moral judgment and were not considered right. "At the very least, he said, "one should not attribute the idea of rightness .to present-day opinion in this matter. Our society isn't so healthy as to deserve such a compliment. Actually, a large part of society may have gone astray so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. "The wrongness of contraception has not ·been a dogma in the Roman Catholic Church, ,but something which ought to be apparent to all men of good will and not just to docile Catholics," be said. Calling contraception "an unloving and hypocritical course of action," Derrick said that "any kind of contraception must always be grossly and sadly wrong in itself-for human and erotic standards - and not for any specifically Catholic reasons." "Was the hostile reaction to Pope Paul's encyclical Humanae Vitae due to resentment of the Pope as a hidebound old celibate who dognatized unrealis-
people back to their senses?" he said. "Whatever other character and potential it may have, sex is about ,babies," Derrick declared. "Our human reproductive system is just that-a reproductive system and not primarily an emotional fulfilment system. People, ~owever, like to pretend that things are other than what they are, ·and contraception is a means of maintaining such a pretense." Turn to Page Six
Gear Changes to Times Papal Suggestion to Encourage Religious The Holy See, through the Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes, has issued an "Instruction on Renewal of Religious Formation." Hailed as a "thoroughly realistic approach" to the demands of modern life, the aspirations of Vatican II and a true modification of present Canon Law, the instruction was effective Feb. 1, 1969. INSTRUCTION
COMMENTARY
The Instruction embodies notable modifications of norms of Canon J,.aw; provides for experimentation during the novitiate and probationary period' of an. Institute,and makes it. possible to replace temporary vows with a commitment of another kind. The innovations permitted are experimental in character and "the prescriptions of common law remain in force except insofar as this present . Turn to Page Eighteen
Very Rev. Thomas Gallagher, O.P., consultor of the Congregation for Religious and' of the Pontifical -Commission for the Revision of the Code of Canon Law, hailed the new Instruction on the Renewal of Religious Formation as "a step of great significance." "During the centuries the Church has formulated from experience norms for the formation of religious which have contributed greatly to Turn to Page Seventeen
Pr~late
Disputes Politics Charge In Biafra Relief NEW YORK (NC) - The executive director of the overseas relief agency of· U. S. Catholics disputed charges that the Biafra mercy airlift conducted by U. S. and European church relief agencies is politically motivated. Bishop Edward E. Swanstrom, executive director of Catholic Relief Services, responding to the charges, issued the foliowing statement at CRS headquarters here: "We regret immensely to learn that the church groups have been accused of political motivation in their sincere efforts to assist the victims of the present conflict in Nigeria. "Speaking for our agency, Catholic Relief Services, which is conducting programs of welfare assistance in more than 60 countries and has maintained a program in Nigeria since 1957, it should ,be noted that we are • Turn to Page Two
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THP.OAT BLESSING: A celebration combining observance of the feasts of the Purification and St. Blaise is sponsored at St. John of God parish, Somerset, by CCO Parent-Educator Com· mittee. Special guests were all children enrolled in parent·ed. ucator program since its beginnings in 1965. From left, Mrs. James Rebello, committee chairman; Mrs. Joanne Wallace and son Michael; Rev. Bento R. Fraga, blessing Michael's throat.
Holy Union Nun Named Delegate Sister Barbara 'Mary, S.U.S.C., New England regional chairman of the National Sister :Vocation Committee, will be among delegates to a national conference for Sister Vocation Directors to be held Thursday through Sunday, March 13 through 16, in New Orleans. The Vocation Committee is a subgroup of the Conference of Major Superiors of Women. It represents all geographical areas of the United States and is a resource group for the superiors. It also assists vocation directors of women's communities in planning procedures and corporate action in the vocation apostolate. Turn to Page Three
KEEP U~
The Anchor in Every Home Next Sunday is The Anchor Sunday in the Fall River Diocese. Each year since 1957, the year The Anchor went into publication, we have been growing. This year the goal is-not a parish quota-but The Anchor in every home as part of the diocesan Adult Since our last ,al1l1ual subscripEducation program. All but tion drive, the promulgated proa few parishes met their synodal statutes of the diocese quota years back. Now, a include a canon which calls for
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number are hovering around the complete family coverage totlils in their parishes. The parishes conducting stim.., ulating ,and successful Adult Education Classes are among the leaders in circulation advances in. the past few years.
the delivery of a <:opy of The Anchor into every home in the diocese every week. . Clergy and laity, comprising parish Councils, can effectuate the fulfillment of the canon. Drop renew:al envelopes in boxes at Masses on Sunday.
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