FAll RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS VOL. 42, NO. 17 •
Friday, April 24, 1998
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
FALL RIVER, MASS.
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$14 Per Year
Mass. bishops issue statement "In Support of Life" ,
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It is the first time a collaborative effort by all four dioceses has been carried out.
FALL RIVER-Bishop Sean P. O'Malley is among four ordinaries issuing ajoint statement announcing a collaborative initiative in Massachusetts called "In Support of Life" to further the teachings of the papal encyclical, "The Gospel of Life." The initiative, released by the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, encompasses educational, pastoral and legislative aspects. It also represents the first time a collaborative effort has been carried out with resources from all four dioceses of Massachusetts. Cardinal Bernard Law of the Archdiocese of Boston, Bishop O'Malley of the Diocese
of Fall River, Bishop Thomas Dupre of the lives and support those who care for them." The statement continues Diocese of Springfield and "to meet these objectives, In Bishop Daniel Reilly of the Support of Life calls for endDiocese ofWorcester released of-life initiatives at the statethe statement, to be made wide, diocesan and parish levavailable by pastors through els to provide the best means parishes in each of the four arch/dioceses. of pastoral care, education and communication the In Support of Life specifiChurch can offer. We must cally focuses on the issue of also seek innovative apassisted suicide. In order "to proaches in public policy that make good and compassionaffirm life, not threaten it. In ate decisions for themselves the long term, our goal should and their loved ones at the end be 'nothing less than the reor life...the Church must probuilding of a "culture of life." vide clear guidance on the ofThe statement reads: ten complex issues occa"Jesus has proclaimed the sioned by the approach of. BISHOP O'MALLEY Good News that our lives are death. We must reach out to comfort those who suffer at the end of their a gift from God! As Pope John Paul II re-
Fall River launches annual Catholic Charities Appeal By
minds us in his magnificent teaching, The Gospel ofLife, this truth lies 'at the heart of Jesus' message' and so must animate our faith and works as followers of Christ." In the face of a burgeoning "culture of death," the Holy Father urges us therefore to mobilize "for a new culture of life." Taking the Holy Father's words to heart, we commit ourselves as Ordinaries of the four Roman Catholic Dioceses in Massachusetts to In Support ofLife, a strategic plan unprecedented in scope. In Support ofLife will address the threat posed by assisted suicide and the overriding need for compassionate care at the end of life. It will involve the collaboration of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference and each of the four Dioceses. We invite every Catholic in Massachusetts to participate in this mission. Turn to page II - Life
Abortion foes found guilty •
Pro-lifer ruled liable in racketeering trial plans appeal. By Bill Britt Catholic News Service
PAT MCGOWAN
WESTPORT-One left the April 22 Fall River-New Bedford kick-off meeting for the 57th annual Catholic Charities Appeal with a head awhirl with statistics and a heart full of gratitude for' the Christlike work the Appeal has made possible over those 57 years. Consider: in 1997 alone, over 200,000 persons, Catholic and nonCatholic alike, were helped by Catholic Social Services as it reached out to the elderly, ill and disabled, children, the homeless and hungry and those with emotional problems. Among statistics: 100,000 visits to the hospitalized, 94,000 receptions of the Eucharist and 19,000 anointings in the nine hospitals in the Fall River diocese, made possible by around the clock coverage of those hospitals by 24 fulltime chaplains; -167 HIV/AIDS patients and their family members of all ages receiving emotional, spiritual and physical services from the Diocesan Office of AIDS Ministry; -120 women and 102 children provided with 1,600 days of emergency housing by the Catholic Social Services office; -Physically challenged chil, dren provided with a summer camp experience at Cathedral, Nazareth and St. Vincent's day camps; -6,310 adults and children assisted by Catholic Social Services' food pantry , -682 families, including 1,190 children, receiving basic needs assistance, also from Catholic Social Services; -2,241 persons in widowed support and separated/divorced support groups as well as 765 chil-
CHICAGO - After a gLiilty verdict was reache,d April 20 in his federal racketeering trial in Chicago, Joe Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League, said he will appeal and
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expects "a solid victory." In a statement, Scheidler said he had expected the defeat and charged that the By JAMES N. DUNBAR case brought against him and his co-defenFALL RIVER-This week's U.S. Disdants "was full of lies trict Court ruling that two pro-life groups and misstatements." violated federal racketeering laws in their Chicago's Cardinal behavior at abortion clinics, was cal1ed "a Francis E. George perversion of the RICO Act," by the direcalso lamented the de- tor of the diocese's Pro-Life Office. cision and said the "I think the decision by the court in Chiarchdiocese may get cago is primafacie a perversion of the Rackinvolved in the case. eteer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations The lawsuit, filed un- law if you apply it to people who are doing del' the Racketeer In- the best they can to preserve unborn human fluenced and Corrupt life," said Father Stephen A. Fernandes. Organizations law, "I align myself squarely, as I think any known as RICO, was American should, with Chicago Cardinal brought by the Na- Frances E. George's statement in which he tional Organization says it is a terrible blow to freedom of for Women and two speech. At the same time, perhaps we should abortion providers. take every occasion to say that those inDefendants were volved in pro-life ministry should never Scheidler's Chicago- engage in or foster or encourage acts of viobased organization; 1ence against any human person," Father Scheidler and two Fernandes asserted. other league leaders, He said it was "counterproductive and, Timothy Murphy and dysfunctional to be involved in a ministry Andrew Scholberg; of saving life by engaging in violent acts and Operation Res- against life." cue National, now What concerns pro-lifers, Father based in Dallas. Fernandes said, is that "we are convinced The civil suit of violence taking place inside the clinic charged that the de- against the women and against the unborn fendants used vio- L. Tu_"_n_to_p:,.a..;g:,.e_I_I__F._e"_n_a_nd_e_s i lence to prevent women from using abortion clinics. The jUry of four women and two ~en, which began d~liber ating April 16, found the defendants liable under the anti-racketeering law and awarded the two clinics more than $86,000. Turn to page II - Racketeer
Pro-Life director blasts ruling
CAMPAIGN KICKOFF - Hundreds attended the Fall River region's kickoff breakfast for the q7th annual Catholic Charities Appeal at White's Restaurant Wednesday. Funds raised during the appeal provide the financial backing for numerous programs, services and institutions sponsored by the diocese throughout southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. (Photo by John Kearns, Jr.) dren in a Rainbows support program that helps pre-schoolers through teenagers to face losses through death or broken families. Human Face, A human face was placed on these statistics by Mary-Lou Mancini of Catholic Social Services, who used pseudonyms in describing the problems pf many of the persons aided by the, agency. They included the tales of an unemployed fisherman seen sobbing on the sidewalk outside the Catholic Social Services oftice:as his wife ventured inside to ask for aid, explaining that the couple had not eaten for two days; of a Portuguese couple assisted in learning English
to facilitate their jobseeking; of young unwed parents-to-be steered away from abortion; of Guatemalan and Cambodian immigrants traumatized by witnessing the murders of family members and friends in their native lands; and of the highly successful BELL program, reported in the April 17 Anchor, which helps immigrants prepare for U.S. citizenship. Kickoff Kicking off the kickoff meeting was Appeal Chairman Michael J. Donly of the Diocesan Development Office, who noted that 85 percent of the work of Catholic Social Services is supported by the ApTurn to page II - Kickoff