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VOL. 36, NO. 28
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Friday, July 17, 1992
F ALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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$11 Per Year
World breathes sigh of relief:
AT THE climactic moment of ordination,
Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin imposes his hands on the head of James S. Medeiros. Be, low, the new Father Medeiros stands with the former Fall River bishop, who traveled from his present see of Hartford for the cere, mony. (Hickey photos)
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Black Congress delegate "still floating" With eNS reports "I'm still floating" was the reaction of Ms. Dorothy Lopes when asked her impressions of the seventh National Black Congress, held in New Orleans July 9 through 12. "The gift of the black church to the larger church became very evident to me," she said in describing the meeting of some 2,700 people, including six cardinals and 91 of the nation's bishops. Of the bishops, nine of the country's II active black bishops were present. The event was "successful, powerful and offers a great challenge to black Catholics nationally and in the diocese of Fall River," said Ms. Lopes, a lector and eucharis-
tic minister at Our Lady of the Assumption parish, New Bedford, and one of eight parishioners who attended the congress. . She said the delegation will meet in the near future to decide how best to share with the parish the insights gained in New Orleans. After a July 9 opening Mass celebrating the richness of AfricanAmerican culture through music and ritual, congressgoers turned to the task of developing a framework designed to iinplement the gathering's theme: The AfricanAmerican Family. Particularly scrutinized were the internal structure of AfricanAmerican family life, the role of the African-American male, the
effects of racism on families and ways of making the American church more aware and inclusive of African-American culture and concerns. "How?" asked Auxiliary Bishop J. Terry Steib of St. Louis, chairman ofthe U.S. bishops' Committee on Black Catholics, during the closing Mass of the congress July 12. "I don't know how, but somehow!" He was responding to questions raised by delegates on how to implement in their home dioceses the actions of the congress. Delegates approved eight public policy statements covering national family policy, Medicaid, universal Turn to Page II
Pope is recovering from surgery VATICAN CITY(CNS)- After The pope's medical ordeal was awakening at 4 a.m. July 15 to say played out hirgely in the public Mass, Pope John Paul II under-' eye. In a remarkable contrast with went surgery at 6: 15 a. m. to remove centuries of Vatican reserve on a benign tumor, and doctors pre- papal health matters, he persondicted the pope's 'long-term recov- ally made the surprise announceery prospects are "absolutely good," ment about his physical condition a Vatican spokesman said. during a Sunday Angelus blessing During a nearly four-hour oper- July 12. ation at Rome's Gemelli PolyNavarro-Valls said the pope had clinic, doctors removed a moder- been suffering from an "intestinal ately sized tumor and performed a dysfunction" and a small amount resection of the colon. the lower of pain for a few days. part of the large intestine. the VatThroughout pre-operative tests, ican said. he was alert and comfortable, his The 72-year-old pontiff tolerated spokesman said. He said Mass in the operation well and regained his room and walked unaided, consciousness rapidly afterward, awaiting doctors' instructions. press spokesman Joaquin NavarroThe Vatican had quickly ruled Valls said. out early speculation that the pope's He said the non-cancerous nature problem was related to his June of the tumor was confirmed in visit to Angola. It was clear that biopsies before and during the the pope was not suffering from a operation and "it is confirmed 100 viral or bacterial infection, Napercent" that no malignancy was varro-Valls said. The Pope's July 12 arrival at the Gemelli clinic found. At the same time, surgeons took seemed in many ways like one of out the pope's' gall bladder when his Sunday parish outings. The gallstones were discovered during smiling pontiff, in traditional white robe and skull cap, greeted wellthe procedure, he said. Doctors confirmed that the wishers at the hospital entrance tumor had nothing to do with the and' patients who looked down pope's previous intestinal opera- from their windows. He walked into the building slowly bu·t tions following an assassination attempt II years ago. unaided. In medical terms, the tumor He is staying in the same IOthfound is a tubulo-villous adenoma floor rooms he had in 198 I. They found in this case in the sigmoid include working space for himself colon with localized cellular alter- and a personal secretary, Polish ations, a Vatican statement said. Msgr. Stanislaw Dziwisz. In 1981 Patients who have had such a the pope spent a total of76 days in tumor removed are usually exam- the hospital in separate recoveries ined regularly afterward for possi- from the gunshot wounds and a ble recurrence. subsequent viral infection. The pope is expected to remain The pope had been expected to in the hospital until about July 25, leave the Vatican July 15 for his then go to his summer residence annual two-week holiday in the outside Rome for further rest. Italian alps. Navarro-Valls said The surgery was performed by a that he hoped the pontiff could medical team headed by Dr. Fran- make the trip "as soon as possible." cesco Crucitti, who also operated Hundreds of get-well wishes have on the pope's intestines following been pouring in to the Vatican and a 1981 assassination attempt. Navarro-Valls said that among The pope's anesthesiologist, Dr. them was a "moving" letter from Corrado Manni, said the growth Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turk who was the size oran orange. shot the pope in 1981, causing "About 10 days in the hospital is serious intestinal wounds. normal in these situations," said It will be up to the pope to Navarro-Valls, who has a medical decide whether to make Agca's letdegree. ter public, the spokesman said. The pope's body functions were Agca is serving a life sentence in an normal during the operation and Italian prison. he regained consciousness quickly, President George Bush expressed Navarro-Valls said. his wishes for the pope's speedy In describing the operation, recovery in a message delivered to Navarro-Valls read from a medi- a top Vatican Official by Ambascal bulletin issued by the surgical sador Thomas Melady. team. Other messages were received The operation was "curative be- from the Palestine Liberation cause the lesion was of a benign Organization, expressing the wishes nature," said the bulletin. of PLO leader Vasser Arafat; the "H is cardiovascular, respiratory, Israeli ambassador to Italy; and hematological and metabolical func- most other ambassadors at the tions have constantly remained Vatican. within the norms," it said. Turn to Page Two