t eanc 0
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
. . . . - ---------------------------..I
VOL. 32, NO. 12
•
Friday, March 18, 1988
-----.,'-~_.~-_ F ALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
Vatican nixes condom use against AIDS
•
510 Per Year
Human Life encyclical nondebatable
-
VATICAN CITY (NC) - Christians should respond to AIDS by proclaiming chastity and marital fidelity and by offering compassion to victims, but not by promoting the use of condoms, said a March 10 front-page article in VATICAN CITY (NC) - Pope L'Osservatore Romano, the VatiJohn Paul II called Pope Paul VI's can newspaper. The article said that "to seek the encyclical forbidding artificial birth control part of the "permanent solution to the disease in the propatrimony" of the church's moral motion of the use of prophylactics is to take a path that is not only teaching and criticized churchmen unreliable from a technical point who say the teaching is debatable. of view, but also and above all, He said that among the hinunacceptable from a moral point drances to the proper practice of . of view." the church's teaching on conjugal love is the suggestion from some "No one should be astonished pastors and theologians that the or scandalized if, in a pluralistic church's teaching is open to dissociety, the Christian proclaims cussion, the pope told a meeting of the ideal of a life in chastity, in natural family planning experts. conjugal fidelity and in temper"This is not a sign of pastoral ance," the unsigned article said. understanding," Pope John Paul A director of the newspaper, said, "but of a lack of understandAngelo Scelzo, would not say who FATHER TOSTI presents the Family Ministry Award to Imelda and George Vezina. ing of the true good of persons." wrote the article, but he said the ~ The pope spoke to 350 particithree asterisks printed in place of I (Rosa photo) pants in the Fourth International the author's name i~di~ated that it Congress for the Family in Africa was from an "authontatlve" source. and Europe. Sponsored by Rome's "In practice, it means the article Sacred Heart University, the conhas been seen by the secretary of . gress marked the 20th anniversary state's office," he said. of Pope Paul's encyclical "HuThe article said the anti-AIDS manae Vitae" (Of Human Life). campaign for "safe sex" ignores By Joseph Motta "There are so many people who also emphasize that they are a Participants met with the pope the "real cause" of AIDS: "the support organization, "not a social work so hard." 14 at the Vatican. March permissiveness that, in the area of. Last Sunday the Diocesan Office But she notes that the Vezinas or seniors' group or a singles' The March 12-15 congress was sexuality as well as in areas of • of Family Ministry surprised are as unique as they are deserv- club." organized by Dr. Anna Cappella, other abuses, corrodes the moral George and Imelda Vezina of ing. Keep reading and find out The group's goal is easy to define: director of the university's Center fiber of the people." Acushnet, members of St. Kilian's why! "to help people get through the for Studies and Research on NatuIt said Christians should "seek parish, New Bedford, with its The Vezinas grieving and become adjusted to ral Fertility Regulation. Featured to correct - without compromise second Family Ministry Award. George and Imelda Vezina will being single again," Mrs. Vezina speakers included Drs. John and The award recognizes outstand- deviations and vices that undermark their sixth wedding anniversays. "A lot of people can't get Evelyn Billings, founders of the mine the roots of human life, the ing contributions to family minisused to the words 'widow' or World Organization for the Ovudignity of the person and the fam- try work for the Fall'River dio- sary in August. Both widowed, 'widower.' " lation Method Billings (WOO M B). ily, the truth about human sexual-_ cese. It was presented by Father they have nine children (seven his, two hers) and a joint crop of 12 One member, George Vezina Americans addressing the fourity that is denied in homosexual- Ronald A. Tosti, Family Ministry grandchildren. said, told him that it took her day congress included Thomas Hility, and the great value of human Office director, at a recognition The couple never forgot how months to face facts and realize gers, director of the Pope Paul VI love." dinner at White's of Westport which hard it was to deal with their that the group was "for someone Institute for Study on Human ReThe article said AIDS preven- followed a Mass at St. Mary's losses. Not long after they met at a like her." production in Omaha, Neb., and tion was an example of medicine Cathedral, Fall River, for the hunday of recollection for the widowed There is a core membership of Father Lorenzo Albacete, director and ethics in basic agreement. In dreds of persons involved in fambetween 25 and 30 persons in the of the John Paul II Institute in 95 percent of the cases, it said, i1y-related parish and deanery pro- at LaSalette Shrine, Attleboro (love and marriage weren't long in the Current members range in Boston. group. avoiding the disease means ab- grams. making), they established and led age from 24 to 80, with most in Issued July 25,1968, "Humanae staining from sexual practices outBishop Daniel A. Cronin was what is now the New Bedford Area their middle years. Vitae" reaffirmed the church's opside marriage and avoiding drug the liturgy's principal celebrant Support Group for Widowed PerThere are no age specifications. position to artificial birth control, use. and homilist. Father Tosti and sons with the assistance of Father "What's the difference how old teaching that every act of sexual However, it said that AIDS, Very Rev. Barry W. Wall, CathePaul Guido, OFM, St. Kilian's you are?" asks Mrs. Vezina, who intercourse must be open to the acquired immune deficiency syn- dral pastor and rector, were desigpastor and the group's spiritual works as cook/ receptionist at St. possibility of conceiving new life. drome, should not be seen as an nated concelebrants, and other director. Kilian's parish. "What hurts hurts!" inevitable punishment for moral concelebrants were priests in leadHowever, the encyclical left open The group, which meets at 7:30 The vast majority of members the possibility of "naturaI" methods guilt, "even though some of the ership roles in Family Ministry p.m. each second Monday in St. are women, the couple added. Ve- of family planning based on peridiseased are convinced of that in programs. Kilian's rectory basement, is sponzina, an oil burner technician, was odic abstinence. their own conscience." Representatives of all areas sored by the Diocesan Office of not the typical male in looking for Christians should see AIDS suf- served by the office - natural "Humane Vitae" is "a teaching Family Ministry. support right after he lost his wife, which belongs to the permanent ferers as brothers and sisters' and family planning, marriage prepaThe Vezinas stress that, although they report. try to give them relief and compas- ration and enrichment, ministry to patrimony of the moral doctrine most attendees are Catholic, the "I think men are afraid to admit of the church," the pope told the sion, the article said. At the same the widowed and to divorced and meetings are open to all widowed, they need help," Mrs. Vezina said. congress. time, it said, those with AIDS separated Catholics and parish regardless of denomination. They Her husband notes, though, that should be encouraged to see a rela- family ministry - participated in "The uninterrupted continuity men who have come to the group with which the church has protionship between their suffering the Mass. for the right reasons are satisfied posed this teaching is born from its and Christ's passion. According to Scottie Foley, with THIS ,YEAR'S Miss and have stayed on. The issue of condom education her husband Jerry, Family Minisrespons.ibility for the true good of The leaders say many strong the human person," he added. America has a lot more has been controversial in the Uni- try program director, the Vezinas friendships have developed among , Calling conjugal love the "most ted States. were "totally shocked, very, very going for her than a pretty group members and that there precious good" of couples, the In mid-December 1987, the ad- I; surprised!"atreceivingtheaward. face. Read about her on have been two or three marriages pope said the encyclical was a ministrative board of the U.S. biSh-, "It's very difficult to choose the page 8. Turn to Page Six Turn to Page Six Turn to Page Six recipient," Mrs. Foley explained.
Pope calls it part of church patrimony
I
Unique and deserving