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VOL. 34, NO. 21
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Friday, May 25, 1990
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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$11 Per Year
Beware of capitalism, pope tells East
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Hedonism, materialism rapped
RETIRIN G Msgr. Anthony M. Gomes, moderator of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women as well as director of the Catholic Charities Appeal, is honored by Fall River District One of the council, which he served for 23 years as moderator before assuming the diocesan position. The book, with a needlepoint cover made by past DCCW president Claudette Armstrong, left, contains letters of tribute from past and present district presidents. Gertrude O'Brien, right, was an MC for the program, coordinated by district president Colette Waring. (Lavoie photo)
Appeal total at $1,998,099.75 The Catholic Charities Appeal total now stands at $1,998,099.75, with many parish returns, priests' donations and Special Gifts yet to be reported. Msgr. Anthony M. Gomes, diocesan Appeal director, said that such donations must reach Appeal headquarters in Fall River by today for inclusion in this year's total. "These reports should be made in person to insure credit," he said, noting that 1990 Appeal final totals will be published in the June 8 Anchor. "I hope that everyone of our
III parishes will be 'over the top' today," he said.
Honor Roll 74 parishes have thus far surpassed their 1989 finaltotals. The following parishes have been added to the honor roll since last week's Anchor report. St. Theresa, Attleboro; St. Mary, Mansfield; Sacred Heart, St. Mary, North Attleboro; Mt. Carmel, St. Mary, Seekonk. Our Lady of the Cape, Brewster; Holy Redeemer, Chatham; St. Elizabeth, Edgartown; St. Francis Xavier, Hyannis; Christ the King,
Mashpee; Our Lady of the Isle, Nantucket; St. Elizabeth Seton, North Falmouth; St. John, Pocasset; Corpus Christi, Sandwich; St. Pius X, South Yarmouth; St. Joseph, Woods Hole. St. Mary's Cathedral, Blessed Sacrament, Espirito Santo, Notre Dame, Holy Rosary, Immaculate Conception, St. Anne, St. Jean Baptiste, St. Michael, St. Patrick, Fall River. St. Bernard, Assonet; St. Dominic, St. Michael, Swansea; St. John the Baptist, Westport. Turn to Page Six
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Since the fall of communist governments in Eastern Europe, Pope John Paul II has picked up a new theme: Europe must avoid the pitfails of capitalism. In trips to Mexico and Czechoslovakia and in a talk to Italian bishops, the pope has warned that communism's fai'lure does not mean countries shou'ld automatically adopt "liberal capitalism" as the way to economic development. Although the pope has not criticized capitalist countries by name, the Jesuit-run magazine La Civilta Cattolica - which reflects Vatican views - ran an II-page editorial May 19 saying that Europe must avoid "the political, economic and military imperialism of the United States." La Civilta Cattolica officials describe their magazine as a nonVatican publication at the service of the Vatican. Its editorials and major articles are reviewed by the Vatican Secretariat of State before publication. During an April 21-22 trip to Czechoslovakia, Pope John Paul warned East Europeans, that the dangers that renewed "contacts with the West can bring must not be underestimated." "Prepare in the churches entrusted to your care suitable immunizing defenses against ce'rtain 'viruses' such as secularism, indifference, hedonistic consumerism, practical materialism and also formal atheism, which today are widespread," he told Czechoslovakian bishops April 21. In Durango, Mexico, May 9, the pope told businessmen that only a "superficial" interpretation would consider communism's fall in Eastern Europe "as the triumph
of failure of one system over another especially the triumph of the liberal capitalist system. "Special interests would like to take the analysis to the extreme, to present the system that they believe the victor as the only road for our world, basing themselves on the reverses suffered by contemporary socialism," the pope said. The pope criticized an "exclusive eagerness for profit" that does not take into account the limited resources of many Third World countries. He said capitalism contains "the temptation to convert the national community into something at the service of the special interests of the company." ,Speaking to Mexican bishops, the pope called consumerism "a continuing and humiliating offense, especially for the poor, who at times are denied not what is superfluous, but what is most necessary for a dignified life." lri a May 18 speech to Italian bishops, the pope said Eastern Europe might have moved away from materialistic ideology, but like the West it remained vulnerable to Western-style materialism. In different ways, he said, Eastern and Western Europe face "the challenges of secularism and materialism - practical if no longer ideological. And both have an equal need of a new and great impulse of evangelization." But it was La Civilta Cattolica that went a step further and warned against U.S. dominance. The editorial analyzing the messages of the pope's Czechoslovakia trip stressed "the necessity for Europe to unify its own energies in order not to succumb in the face of the political, economic and milTurn to Page Six y
Drop women's pastoral, suggests Archbishop Weakland MILWAUKEE (CNS) - Citing credibility problems raised in part by the issue of women's ordination, Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland of Milwaukee has suggested the U.S. bishops' pastoral letter on women's concerns might best be dropped. "All things considered, I would prefer to let the whole question of a pastoral on women's concerns in church and society drop at this
moment," he wrote in his "Herald of Hope" column earlier this month in the Catholic Herald, archdiocesan newspaper. Its text follows. Two years ago (March 23,1988) the special ad hoc committee of bishops charged with drafting a pastoral letter on women's concerns put out their first attempt under the title "Partners in the Mystery of Redemption." After extensive consultation they have
now sent the bishops a second draft with the title "One in Christ Jesus: A Pastoral Response to the Concerns of Women for Church and Society." It will be debated and voted on this November at the meeting of the National Conference of Catholic, Bishops of the U.S.A. Having just read this second draft, I can say I found it "preachy"; a strident, negative, judgmental
tone seemed to dominate in the document. Apparently the authors felt that to persuade their readers vinegar was better than honey. I felt wrung out after reading it. Perhaps I needed being taken to the woodshed, but I did not sense that the authors were calling us all to a more collaborative working together toward a common goal. I was not inspired. Most of all, I did not sense any
new contribution to the themes treated; by now it was all old hat. It had all been said before and better. I am also tired of hearing in our documents that we should study this or that item more thoroughly; it is time to show how the themes can move forward. On almost every issue the document doe's not add anything to what has already been said by Turn to Page Eight