Nothing replaces human compassion
I
Papal letter
on suffering
the
anc 0
. DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSI, CAPE & ISLANDS Vol. 28, No.7
Fall River, Mass., Friday, February 17, 1984
$8 Per Year
VATICAN CITY (NC) - Human suffering brings peo ple closer to God by opening them to grace, and in that way completes the work of Christ's redemptive acts, Pope John Paul II said in a 13,OOO-word document. The pope said that suffering" while undoubtedly linked . to evil, has a saving power that is understood in Christ's VATICAN CITY (NC) - Pope Andropov as general secretary That term was marked by the passion. He also stressed ministering to the suffering. John Paul II sent condolences to of the Soviet Communist Party, sharpest decline in East·W~st The document, an apostolic letter on' suffering, was the Soviet leadership over the the Kremlin's .most powerful relations in decades. Religious freedom and human dated Feb. 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Its Latin death of Soviet President Yuri post. A Feb. 12 front-page editorial rights conditions in the Soviet title is "Salvifici Doloris" and its title in English is "On Andropov "on the occasion of the mourning which has stricken in L'OsservatoreRomano, the Union and the Eastern-bloc the Christian Meaning of Suffering." satellite states "definitely wor the Union of Soviet Socialist Re Vatican daily newspaper, criti The letter touched on a frequent theme of Pope John publics with the death of the cized President Reagan's decis sened" under Andropov,· said Father Casimir Pugevicius, exec Paul's pontificate; that while suffering is always a trial, President of the Presidium of the ion not to attend the funeral. "The hopes that the funeral utive director of lithuanian Am it also calls people to perseverance and reveals human Supreme SOViet, Mr. Yuri Andro pov, who exercised such high re would be able to be the occasion erican Catholic Services, a New dignity. for a 'summit,' even though an York-based .human rights organ sponsibilities in his country." The last two world wars, the pope said, brought a The pope designated Jerome informal one, between the two ization. "It was really a long "harvest of death" and immense human suffering. great powers have definitely step back to Stalinism under Lejeune, a member of the Ponti "The second half of our century, in its turn, brings fical Academy of Sciences and fallen," the unsigned editorial him." with it - as though in proportion to the mistakes and a professor of genetics at the said. He attributed the crackdown Reagan named Vice President to the effk:lency Andropov in transgressions of our contemporary civilization - such a University of Paris, as his per horrible threat of nuclear war that we cannot think or this sonal representative to Andro George Bush to head the U.S. troduced all the way down the line" and to the nervousness on funeral. Lejeune was ac delegation at the, funeral. period except in terms of an inComparable accumulation pov's the part of the Soviet Union companied by Guzman Carri I\. Vatican Radio commentary of sufferings, even to the possible self-destruction of quiry, a staff member of the Feb. 11 said that assessments of about the Solidarity movement humanity," he said. in Poland. Pontifical Council for the laity. Andropov's rule would be diffi Not all suffering, the pope said, can be understood as In its front-page editorial, On Feb. 13, Konstantin Cher cult to make because of his rela nenko,' 72, the son of Sibenlln tively short term of 15 months L'Osservatore Romano said that the consequence or punishment for the faults of individ peasants, was named to succeed in office. . Turn to Page Seven uals or society. But he added that suffering cannot be div orced from the sinful background of human history. At the basis of human suffering, he said, "there is a complex involvement with sin." The passion of Christ, he said, is the key to an individ ual's understanding of why he suffers. "What is past is prologue," said Shakes peare. Thus knowledge of the past is essen Christ's death on the cross brought an end to "defini tial to preparing for what is yet to come. Wi th these thoughts in mind, Bishop Daniel A. tive sufferings," or the loss of etem~llife, the pope said. Cronin, a man with a sense of history and of responsibility to the future, has made of With Christ's sacrifice, suffering "entered into a com the former Fall River chancery office a well-appointed storehouse of diocesan records. pletely new dimension and a new order; it has been linked to love," the pope added. Originally the stable for the "It is suffering, more than anything else, which clears house that is now the. 'bishop's the way for the grace which transforms human souls. residence, the sturdy brick structiJre at the junction of Suffering, more than anything else, ma~es present in the HighlaRd Avenue and New Bos history of humanity the powers of the redemption," he ton Road in Fall River lent itself said. weB to becoming an archives But individuals often see their suffering as useless, building. In 1981 .it was .thoroughly the pope continued. "This feeling not only consumes the person interiorly, checked by engineers and pro nounced in good shape for its but seems to make him a burden to others. The person new intended use. Lighting and feels condemned to receive help and assistance from others, heating facilities were updated, and at the same time seems useless to himself," the pope new carpeting was installed and the building was brought into said. "The discovery of the :salvific meaning of suffering in conformity with fire department union with Christ transforms this depressing feeling," he standards. Bishop Cronin appointed Msg~. said. John J. Oliveira as diocesan Helping to relieve suffering, on the other hand, is the archivist. Already a chancellor, perfect way for man to find himself by making "a sincere episcopal secretary and vicar for ecclesiastical matters, he is in gift of himself," Pope John Paul said. a good position to gather docu The task of relieving suffering does not stop at sym ments that should be preserved pathy, the pope said, but must be carried to effective social for history. action involving families, schools and individuals. Working with him is Yvonne But "no institution can by itself replace the human Lafontaine, whose responsibility
heart, human compassion, human love or human initiative, . it is to file the materials chan
neled to her from the chancery
when it is a question of .dealing with the sufferings of s.n office. other," the pope said. The archival holdings contain This is not only true of physical suffering, he said, no museum-type artifacts, said but of moral suffering "when it is primarily the soul that Msgr. Oliveira. Rather, its fire MSGR. JOHN J. OLIVEIRA and Yvonne Lafontaine proof files protect the deeds and is suff~ring." Pope John Paul linked the timing of the document, one sacramental records of each check a record at the diocesan archives office. Stained glass diocesan parish as well as news- windows beside the des~ depict from left the coats of arms of the Jongest in his almost six years as pope, with the of Bishop Cronin, the diocese and Pope John Paul II. Turn to page thirteen current. Holy Year of the Redemption.
Vatican raps no-sh·ow
Diocesan past is preserved