07.12.73

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Holy See Reaffirms Two Doctrines

The ANCHOR An Anchor of the Soul, Sure and Firm-51. Paul I

Fall River, Mass., Thursday, July 12, 1973 $4.00 per year Vol.'17, No. 28 © 1973 The Anchor PRICE 10¢

Penance To Precede First Communion A joint General Declaration I".,as been issued by the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy terminating the period of experimentation by which children were administered first Commun ion before first confession. In last November's executive session of the NaHonal Conference of Catholic Bishops, the United States Bishops petitioned for a two-year extension of the experiment. This present joint Declaration terminates the period of experimentation. A direct call by John Cardinal Krol to Rome, exploring the possibility of an extension, resulted in his being advised that any experiment now in progress is to be phased out beginning with the end of the scholastic year 197273, and no further experiment of this type is to be initiated.'

The Declaration, issued with the approval of Pope Paul VI, notes that the experiment car· ried on in some places by which childrelJ were administered first Communion before first confession was allowed for two years. It declares now th,at the experiment must come to an end and that the common and general practice now in force in the Church of putting confession before first Communion must be retained. Some catechists originally suggested the experiment in order to train Catholics as they grow older that it is not always necessary to go to confession before going, to Communion. Many Catholics who were trained on the formula of first confession before first Communion frequently adhered to that formula in adult life, even if Turn to Page Two

VATICAN CITY (NC) - The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the authorization of. Pope Paul VI, has reaffirmed the Church doctrines on the oneness and infallibility of the Catholic Church and the truth of dogmatic formulas. lt also reaffirmed the necessity of the ordained priesthood for the valid celebration of Mass. In a 15-page "Declaration in Defense of the Catholic Doctrine of the Church Against' Certain Errors of the Present Day," dated June 24 and published July 5, the Vatican explained "a number of truths concerning the mystery of the Church 'which at the present time are begin either denied or endangered." The "declaration", indicated that the document did not teach new doctrines but it recalled and summarized the Catholic Doctrine which had been defined or taught in former documents of the magisterium of the Church. Its source-the Vatican Congregation-also showed it as of a universal teaching nature, the declaration stated. The congregation is the one that renders the closest assistance to the supreme teacher of the Church, having received from him a specific mandate to safeguard in the entire world the doctrine of faith and morals. The document also states that

what is contained therein should be held by the whole Church, since it is the Pope that has' orreder its publication. The document declared: Oneness There is only one Church of Christ, which, "constituted and organized in this' world as a society, subsists "in the Catholic Church." The Church of Christ subsists one and indivisible in the Catholic Church. Thus it is not imagined to be the collection of all existing Christian Churches or communities; nor can it in any way be adll.litted that it does not now exist at all, or that its existence is reserved for an unforeseen future moment, as the

result of research on the part of all Christian confessions. Hence, the fact that the Catholic Church is governed by the Roman Pontiff and by the other bishops in communion with him: successors, respectively, of Peter and the other Apostles, to whom Christ himself 'commited the direction of his institution and communion of salvation; The fact that,together with the above-mentioned, only the Catholic Church possesses the entire truth that has been divinely revealed, and all the means which God has esta'blished for the salvation of men. These two facts go together to give competence to the Catholic Turn to Page Nineteen

Help Offered To Deaf Tots

. A clearinghouse of information for parents of pre-school children with impaired hearing has been organized by Mrs. Catherine POPE PAUL VI Kitchen of Holy Name parish, Fall River, telephone 674-0230. She is associated with the Southeastern Massachusetts Parents' Association for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children, which l sponsors ,a nursery school for children ages 2 to 4. School officials are currently seeking to enVATICAN CITY (NC) - The tidn was presented at the Vatroll children for the fall term, so Doctrinal Congregation's decla- ican by Ar,chbishop Joseph that confront high problems For the past several months, " that program plans may be made. members of the Sacred Heart school age people. 'J1he school, funded by the ration ,in defense of Catholic doc- Schroeffer, Father Kueng was trine is both a gauntlet thrown not only mentioned, but it was and Our Lady of .Lourdes parA membership card will be Massachusetts Department of ishes in the Taunton area, under given for the fee of one dollar. Special Education at no cost to at the feet of Cathoilc theolo- announced that if he assented to the direction of Charles Mon- Anyone holding a card 'for the parents, is located at the Con- gians - notably Father Hans the contents of the declaration, aghan, have been meeting to or- former drop-in center (known as gregational Christian Church, 'Kueng - and encouragement to , the congregation would drop its the theologians to continue their investigation of his teachings. ganize "Pax," a coffeehouse "The Foot") may exchange it for 1411 County Street, Somerset. Finally, the Vatican daily which will be open to any high- a "Pax" m'embership card at no The iissociation has also been "intense study (in) exploring school student of the Sacred charge. The new center will be instrumental in the organization more and more the mystery of newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, in a lengthy comentary on Heart, Our Lady of Lourdes and open from 7:30 to 11 P.M. every of classes for deaf children at the Church." Although Swiss-born Father the declaration, said: United Memorial Methodist par- Monday, Wednesday and Friday the ,Carroll School in Fall River, Kueng was not mentioned by "If this declaration speaks of ishes. through August. There will be no to which transportation is pro- name in the declaration (nor was questions treated by Professor Monaghan, a recent graduate charge on Monday and Wednes- vided for youngsters from sur"any other theologian), it ,is evi- Hans Kueng, it treats of other rounding communities. of Bridgewater State College, is day nights. Prior to 1969, note association dent many of his views are being problems which were not at all assistant co-ordinator for reliAlso available will be the officials, Southeastern Massa- corrected by the congregation. or but scarcely touched by him." gious education for Sacred Heart consultation services of Craig chusetts children with hearing This is clear from the nature A third section of the declaraparish. Through this job he has Dutra, who is currently working problems had to go to residential of the declaration itself, dealing tion 'speaks of the error that the extensive contact with area high grant to gather and dis- schools for the deaf. Today, due as it does in large part with the true Catholic Church, because school students, and has been under a seminate information on youth to the action of members, "the manifold phases of infallibillity of its div,isions, is still in the working as an advisor to, the programs in the Taunton area area is well on its way to giving and, in the last part, with the dered its publication. coffeehouse planning committee and aiding some of these groups the hearing handicapped a ministerial priesthood. Both topThe centrol point of the confor the past several months. in their planning processes. He chance to live a near-normal and ics were treated by two recent gregation's declaration seems to The C;:Qffeehouse, located' in will assist members of the cof- fulfilling life." and controversial books by b~ a refutation of Father Kueng's Our Lady of Lourdes church feehouse in fund-raising, memviews on infallibility' as recorded Father Kueng. The organization plans a clambasement, aims to provide a conbership, and community projects. boil and family outing Sunday, In addition, Father Kueng is in his book "Infallible? An Instructive program for the people Working along with Mon- Sept. 30 at Hornbine Acres, Re- mentioned in an explanatory quiry." of the Weir community, offering Father Kueng seems to be inand Dutra will be Robert hoboth. The program will in- note on the, document sent 'to aghan young people recreation, enter,tainment, a base from which to Leonard and Miss Deborah Du- clude games, awarding of door bishops' conferences by the Vat- sisting that the teaching authority of the Church not only has perform service projects and a'- pont, members of Sacred Heart prizes, a raffle and music for kan. Further, at the end of the press been in error in the past, but reinforcement of their Christian and Our Lady' of Lourdes par- dancing. Proceeds will benefit conference in which the declaraTurn to Page Nineteen the association. values to deal with many of the ishes respectively.

,Taunton's Pax Coffe.elzouse

Papal Document Invites

Theologians Activity,


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07.12.73 by The Anchor - Issuu