t eanc 0 VOL. 28, NO.6
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
FALL RIVER, MASS., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1984
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NY, Boston appointments affirm US church
By Jerry FUteau NC News Service What signal did Pope John Paul II send to the U.S. church with his choice of new arch bishops for Boston and New York? If anything. it was an affirmation of the current mainstream of the American hierarchy. according to sev
eral close observers of Am erican Catholicism. Both new archbishops are considered well within the standard framework describ ing most American bishops: doctrinally orthodox and com mitted to the Second Vatican Council. strong on leadership and discipline ' within the
church but comfortable with ecumenism and American plu ralism. They also are consider ed committed to church in volvement in issues of social justice and public policy. Archbishop Bernard F. Law of Boston is a specialist in ecumenism and a former of ficial of the U.S. bishops' na
tionaI offices. concerned not only with the Archbishop John F. O'Con- church as church. but with the church as part of the nor of New York is an enig ma to many. but there is wide larger society." said Msgr. agreement that he is a strong Francis Lally. secretary for social developments and world personality. an able adminis trator. and very much in tune peace of the U.S. Catholic with the bishops' positions on Conference for the past nine years. A'merican public policy. Turn to Page Six "Both are people who are
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Limits on theologians
discussed· by cardinal
White House Photo
• PRESIDENT REAGAN AND ARCHBISHOP LAGHI
He's· pronuncio
By NC News Archbishop Pio Laghi. apostolic delegate in the United States, said Jan. 30 that he will be the Vatican's first pronuncio in Washington. The archbishop said his credentials have been approved by the White House and that announcement of his new post is scheduled to come after Senate approval of the nomination of William Wilson as ambassador to the Holy See. Raising his status to ambassador would permit a "more candid and frank exchange in what we say and think." Arch bishop Laghi said. He said the formal ties would give the Holy See "real moral power in speaking in the name of human dignity. human rights and peace and justice." At Archbishop Laghi's Washington office. which has begun c8l1ling itself the Vatican embassy, a staff member Feb. 6 said the archbishop is likely to be named pronuncio although no forma-I appointment had' yet been announced. The office is being called an embassy or nunciature. however, to reflect the formal ties which now exist. the staff member said. (REilated story on page 3)
DALLAS (NC) - A top Vati can official cited "rules and limits" on theological criticism of church teachings at a meet ing of 240 bishops from the Am ericas. The prelafes: :fncIuded Bishop Daniel A. Cronin. The bishops. from North and Central America and the Carrib· bean. met in Dallas Monday through yesterday for an inten sive moral theology workshop. Keynote speaker Cardinal Jo seph Ratzinger. prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. took as his topic "Bishops. Theologians and the Moral Life of the Church." . Reporters were not admitted to his talk but an outline dis tributed at the workshop showed that among issues he addressed was the "rules and limits" theo logians must follow' regarding -criticism of authoritative church teachings. The outline also indicated that the cardinal said the task of the moral theologian was to carry on a critical dialogue with con temporary society's moral evalu ations and to help the teaching office of the church to present its moral message to the world. In his two-hour speech the cardinal also discussed objective reality. conscience. thecommun ity. and God's will and revela tion as sources of moral know ledge. U.S. Cardinal William BaUni. prefect of the Vatican Congrega tion for Catholic Education. also addressed the gathering. Funded by the Knights of Columbus. the meeting was the fourth seminar for members of the hierarchy by the Pope John XXIII Medical-Moral Research and Education Center. The center. based in St. Louis.
began the Dallas seminars in 1981 to educate the bishops on medical-moral-ethical issues re quiring a pastoral response. Father William Gallagher.
president of the center. said the focus on moral theology at this year's workshop came from the bishops themselves. Turn to Page Three
MSGR. MENDONCA AND DR. FERNANDES
Holy Shroud lectures A series' of Portuguese language slide lectures on the Holy Shroud of Turin is in progress in the Fall River and Providence dioceses. ' Arranged by Msgr. Luiz Mendonca. diocesan vicar general. with the endorsement of Bishop Daniel A. Cronin. the lectures. which began Feb. 2 and will conclude Feb. 14. are being given by Dr. Fernando Lagrifa Fernandes. editor of Voz da Fatima, the newspaper of the diocese of
Leiria. Portugal. in which the shrine of Fatima is located. Dr. Fernan,des, noted Msgr. Mendonca. is an expert both on the Holy Shroud and on the apparitions of Fatima and devotes his time to evangeli zation, both through the media and through his lectures. He has been specifically mandated by llhe Commission of the Lay Apostolate of the Portuguese bishops' confer ence to spread knowledge of Turn to Page Thirteen