FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
t eanc 0 VOL. 28, NO. 22
FALL RIVER, MASS., FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1984
$8 Per Year
Sexual preference bill
Bishops speak
on homosexuality
The Roman Catholic Bish ops of the Commonwealth have issued a statement con -ceming a bill before the General Court seeking to eliminate "certain discrim ination on the basis of sex ual preference." The state ment follows: At the present time, there is a bill before the General Court of Massachusetts seeking "the elimination of certain discrimina tion on the basis of sexual pref erence." During the past few months, the Massachusetts Catholic Con ference has been asked to arti culate its position on this issue. These- requests have come not only from legislators who are seeking guidance from us on the Church's stance but also from concerned members of the Cath olic Community who feel that the lack of an official statement on this question implies a shift in our posit.ion concerning the mor ality of homosexual activity. Conscious of our role as moral leaders in the community, we, the Roman Catholic Bishops of Massachusetts have decided to explain the posit.ion of the Cath olic Church on this matter. We do so because the proposed bill has power to influence the lives of the youth as well as the adults
crimination (the arbitrary limita of our Commonwealth and be cause it has grave implications tion of human rights) and the for the common good· of our necessary limitation placed on the exercise of human rights society. First of all, some comments whenever such actions would are in order on our' Church's interfere with the just rights of, others and harm society. All peo stand on the question of homo sexuality. Contemporary scholars pie of good will must oppose make an important distinction unjust discrimination. However, between homosexual orientation there are times in our lives when (psycho-sexual attraction pri each of us experiences the pain, marily directed toward members discomfort and challenge of nec of the same sex) and homosex essary limitations on our rights ual activity (homogenital acts). whenever there is a prudent Such orientation is regarded judgment that the common good generally as moraHy neutral; it is at stake. For example, having ·is viewed as a condition which, a patient in an ambulance 'does through no fault of the person, not' permit the driver of that involved, implies a lack of com vehicle to ignore pedestrians at a crowded intersection. Homo plete sexual integration. Homo sexual activity, on the other sexlials, surely, possess all the rights proper to· human beings hand, is seen as something ob jectively wrong inasmuch as it but, as in the case of hetero faHs short of the ult.imate norm sexuals, these rights should be of Christian morality in the area . limited whenever they come into conflict with the rights of others of genital expression, i.e. a re lationship between male and and the common good. As the Roman Catholic Bish female within the marital union. Whether or not homosexual ac ops of Massachusetts, we firmly oppose aH forms of unjust dis tivity is subjectively wrong (sin ful) will, as in all human actions, crimination whether against depend on the presence of those homosexuals or heterosexuals. elements of knowledge and free-  We are of one mind and one dom constituting the human act. heart with the sentiments ex Secondly, some comments are pressed by the Catholic Bishops also in order on the phenomenon of the United States in their pas known as discrimination. It must toral letter on moral values, "To be remembered that there is a Live 1n Christ Jesus," issued in necessary distinction, very often November, 1976: "Some persons ignored, between unjust dis r.urn to Page Sixteen
:Lay 'faction' criticiz·ed
NEW YORK (NC)-Lay Cath olics planning to write a state ment on church teaching and U.S. economic issues paralolel to an upcoming bishops' pastoral ·Ietter on that subject have made ~hemselves a "faction" within the church, said Bishop J. Fran cis Stafford of Memphis, Tenn., in an ,interview May 27. Members of ,the lay Catholic group have a contribution to make from their experience with economic !"ife, said Bishop Staf ford. But, he added, the com mittee chaired by Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwau kee had established a process for use by anyone wishing to be heard. The committee was chosen by the National ConferÂ
ence of Catholic Bishops to draft the pastoral. The American Catholic Com mittee, a group based in New York, announced May 16 that it had named a commission, wilth former Treasury Secretary WHo liam Simon as chairman and author Michael Novak as vice chairman, to write a "Letter of the -Laity on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy." The planned NCCB pastoral is titled "Catholic Social Teach ing and the American Economy." .Bishop Stafford, interviewed after an address in the "Shep herds Speak" series at St. James Cathedral 'in Brooklyn, said the lay group was unjustifiably an ticipating a negative judgment
by the bishops on the Ameri ican economic system. He said the group was acting in a tradition of Catholics who rejected the authority not only of ,local bishops but. of papal teaching on social issues. The current form of ·this tra dition, he said, dates from con servative spokesman WiUiam F. Buckley Jr,'s rejoinder, "Mater. si; Magistrar, no" ("Mother, yes; Teacher; no") to iPope John IIXXX's 1961 social encyclical, "Mater et Magistrar." Bishop Stafford's address at ,the cathedral was titled, "'The Conference of Bishops: A New Vision of Leadership and Au thority," He dealt with quesTurn to Page Sixteen
NOT A MERE BAJ.L PARK FIGlJRE~ but a solid bottom line of better ,than $1.5 million is cause for rejoicing for Appeal team leaders Bishop Daniel A. Cronin and Msgr. Anthony M. Gomes: (Torchia ~hoto) .
Appeal surpasses $1.5 million
Home run!
The 43rd annual diocesan Catholic Charities Appeal has concluded with a record sum at tained, $1,549,527.10. The Most Reverend Daniel A. Cronin, Bish 'op of Fall River, has expressed his delight and conveyed heart felt gratitude to aU those in southeastern Massachusetts who contributed to the campaign. The 1984 Appeal was the f.irst in the history of the diocese to exceed $1.5 million. Monsignor Anthony M. Gomes, diocesan Ap peal director, noted that 1984 gifts and pledges surpassed those of the 1983 campaign by more than $84,000. Funds collected in the Cath olic Charities Appeal are dis bursed to diocesan °apostolates and institullions to provide social services, educational programs, hospital ministry and a wide variety of pastoraL care initia tives. Friends in business and indus try from throughout the diocese contribute to the- Special Gifts phase af the Appeal and mem bers of the 113 diocesan parishes extending from the Attleboros to the tip of Cape Cod also conÂ
wibute to programs utilizing volunteer help and organized in every par!>Chial community. Bishop Cronin lauded the ef forts of Monsignor Gomes and the staff at diocesan appeal headquarters and issued a special message of thanks to Attorney James Quirk Jr. of South Yar mouth, lay chairman of the 1984 Appeal. For the tiirst time in the 43 year Appeal history, a single parish recorded gifts in excess of $50,000. Leading the 113 par ishes in reporting returns was St. Pius X parish of South Yar mouth, with a iiinal tally of $51,004, an increment of over $8,000 over the 1983 Jevel of contributions in the centrally located Cape parish. Monsignor Henry T. Munroe, pastor, noted with pride and satisfaction the unprecedented level of .generosity shown by Pius X parishioners. Following closely after the ~e&ding parish came St. Francis Xavier parish of Hyannis, registering returns of $48,164. From' New Bedford, Our Lady of Mount Carmel par .ish reported the third largest Turn to Page Ten