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THE ANCHOR - Diocese of Fall River -
Fri., Sept. I, 1989
Bishop says Catholics have "right to g~od liturgy" SAN ANGELO, Texas (CNS) - Catholics have a "right to goodworship," and "poor liturgy ... deprives" them of that right, saida pastoral letter issued by San Angelo Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer. In calling for full and active participation in the liturgy, Bishop Pfeifer said, "Our assembly suffers any time an individual with a special .ministry says, 'Father will do it,' or 'Someone else will fill in.' Our assembly suffers any time anyone says, 'I won't be missed.' " The pastoral letter, "Liturgy Cel- . ebrates Life," was published in the West Texas Angelus, San Angelo's diocesan newspaper, in obser- . vance of the 25th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, which was issued Dec. 4, 1963. Noting that the word "liturgy" comes from a Greek word meaning "public work," Bishop Pfeifer said the liturgy "is the main "public work," Bishop Pfeifer said the liturgy "is the main 'public work' of the church, the body of Christ." "Public, not private!" he added. "Private prayers and personal devotion, while necessary and laudable, are not part of the public worship ofthe church. The assembly is not a gathering of individuals pres- ent solely for their own agenda." The public nature of liturgy extends to other sacramental celebrations, Bishop Pfeifer said. . "There is no such thing as a private baptism. Even the sacrament of reconciliation reaches its fullest and richest meaning when celebrated by a group of people." To be Catholic, Bishop Pfeifer said, "is to be a eucharistic person ... the Eucharist is the heart of the sacramental life and all the other sacraments flow from it." Because of the priest shortage, he said, some Sunday assemblies in the future will be services of the Word with Communion. But such services are not to be considered "second-class worship," · Bishop Pfeifer said. He invoked the late Tmppist Father Thomas Merton's definition of liturgy as "an action in which people express who they are, and who they wish to become." Bishop Pfeifer said liturgy calls Catholic's "to be truthful and authentic and enrich Rur service and sharing."Liturgy, he added, "helps us constantly capture a sense of appreciation and thanksgiving that can be lost so easily in a culture of consumerism where many are · content primarily with material gains and achievements." Each Sunday is a "little Easter," Bishop Pfeifer said. '!It is my strong hope that Sunday would be observ: ed as a day of prayer and rest centered on the Lord, rather than a day of work,. or one which is largely commercial or recreational." "When given a choice," Bishop Pfeifer said, "Christians should · chose not to work on Sunday." Although Sunday is the "original and principai feast day" of the church, Bishop Pfeifer said, "Care. should be taken that daily Mass does not become monotonous and dull." Neglect of the Word or the Eucharist "results in poor liturgy, which deprives the assembly of its right to good worship," Bishop Pfeifer said. "The question that
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some still ask, 'How late can' I .arrive for Mass and fulfill my obligation?' misses the,point and shows l! lack of respect for Christ himself who is present in the Word and the Eucharist." The pastoral letter was Bishop Pfeifer's sixth since his installation as bishop of San Angelo in 1985.
Obituaries Rev. John T. Corr Rev. John T. Corr, CSC, former president of Stonehill College, North Easton, died August 16 in . the community residence at Cocoa Beach, Fla., where he had been recuperating from heart surgery. Father Corr was born March 8, 1924 in ·Boston, the son of the late John and Josephine (Doody) Corr. He entered the Congregation of Holy Cross at Our Lady of Holy Cross Seminary, North Easton, in 1941 and professed his vows at the Holy Cross novitiate, North Dartmouth in 1944. He continued his studies for the priesthood at the University of Notre Dame and graduated in 1946. He was ordained to the priesthood in Burlington, Vt., in 1950. After receiving an economics degree from Notre Dame in 1952, he taught at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. From there he joined the staff of the Family Rosaryand Family Theater in Albany N.Y. and Hollywood. In seven years with Family Rosary, he supervised production of radio scripts and television specials for such greats as Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr and Jimmy Durante. hi 1961, Father Corr came to Stonehill College, where he served as registrar and admissions director for three years before being appointed president in 1964. He . was president until 1971. In 1982, Father Corr was appointed assistant provincial of the Eastern Holy Cross Fathers. For the past year he had been an assistant in a parish in Vero Beach, Fla. A funeral Mass was held Aug. 22 at St. Mary's Chapel on the Stonehill campus, followed by burial at the Holy Cross Fathers Cemetery, North Easton. Father Corr is survived by a sister, Margaret Corr, of Roslindale. Donations may be made in Father Corr's name to the Stonehill College Sc~olarship Fund.
Maria E.S. Cabral Maria E.S. Cabral, 88, of Fall River, died Aug. 3 after a brief illness. She had taught kindergarten at Espirito Santo School, Fall River, for 53 years. Miss Cabral was born in St. Michael, Azores, daughter of the late Manuel and Maria (Rocha) Cabral. She came to Fall River as a child and lived most of her life in the city. She graduated from the Normal School of the Sacred Heart, Fall River, and studied with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in Quebec, Canada. She was a member of Our Lady of Health Church, Fall River,
MARY SUE DAVIS, accompanied by an attorney, arrives at the courthouse in Maryville, Tenn., for the trial in which she is seeking control of the embryos she and her now-estranged husband, Junior Davis, produced by in vitro fertilization. (eNS/ UPI photo)
Frozen'human embryos: tragic technology WASHINGTON (CNS) - The divorce trial of a Tennessee couple over the fate of seven frozen embryos is "one of the most tragic instances of technology dragging us along" into ethical dilemmas, said a priest who specializes in medical-moral issues. The Catholic Church "maintains that life begins at conception. Even, if someone is placed in the state of suspended animation, that person is still a human being, including frozen embryos," said Father Russell Smith, who heads the Pope John XXIII Medical-Moral Research and Education Center in Braintree, Mass. Judge W. Dale Young of the State Circuit Court is expected to render a decision within 30 days of the trial, which ended last month in Maryville, Tenn. Mary Sue Davis, 28, is seeking implantation of the embryos fertilized through the "in vitro" process by her estranged husband, Junior Lewis Davis, and frozen in liquid nitrogen - to try to become pregnant. . Mrs.· Davis and her lawyer say the embryos are "preborn ·children" with rights of their own. Her husband argues that he does not want to be a father and has a right to control his own reproduction. He is suing for veto power over the embryos' use and has said he wants to keep them in storage. Judge Young must decide whether the embryos deserve consideration as a potential child and who would better serve the interests of 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111;
where she was an organist and CCD teacher. She received a Marian Medal for her work at Espirito Santo School. A funeral Mass was held Aug. 5 at Our Lady of Health Church, followed by burial at Notre Dame Cemetery. . Miss Cabral is survived by several nieces and nephews. Remembrances may be sent to Espirito Santo School, 253 Alden St., Fall River, 02723.
a child, or whether they should be said the winner should be the one regarded as property and settle the "who has the best interest of the child in mind." In his view Mrs. matter as a property dispute. The situation "should have been Davis should get custody "because thought out with greater clarity she intends to implant the and wisdom," Father Smith said, embryos." "What is happening didn't need adding that there are gaps in the protocols offertility clinics govern- to happen. Where ethical considing the in vitro procedure that erations are given, you only fertilresult in "grave injustices for par- ize the number that will be implanted," he said. ents and children." , Father Joseph Kukura, vice presLife has become "a product we can accept or reject, and the sacred- ident for theology, mission and ness of human life is further com- ethics at the St. Louis-based Catholic Health Association, told CNS promised," Father Smith said. "From a natural law perspective that the trial should remind society the rights that are not being talked "of its obligation to do some ethiabout are the rights of the embryo, cal reflection at the head and not the patient," because the trial has the tail" of such a situation. "Ethical unclarity does not.mean focused on the couples' rights, he license to proceed, but rather chalsaid. Father Smith said he thought lenges society to come to grips the embryos should be implanted with the values which might be in the mother two at a time until supported by or undermined by eventually they are used up. various choices ...... he said. "She took the responsibility of He added that the Catholic tradeciding to bring them into being dition views the embryos as human and now has the responsibility to life "which has rights in and of provide for their life and welfare," itself and cannot be bartered or he said, adding that the church traded back and forth as someteaches that "one has a right to be thing more material than personal." born of their parents." In other comments about the The Catholic Church has ruled trial, Dr. William May, professor out in vitro fertilization as immoral of ethics in the School of Theology even when the reproductive cells at The Catholic University of Amercome from husband and wife, be- ica in Washington said the embryos cause fertilization is then separ- are "human beings with potential ated from the conjugal act. The and not potential human beings" 1987 Vatican document on pro- and that they should be implanted creation said that "human embryos in the mother's womb and brought obtained in vitro are human beings to term. and subjects with rights" and canJesuit Father Richard McCornot be destroyed deliberately..It mick from the University of Notre also condemned freezing embry.os Dame, South Bend, Ind., called because of"grave risks of death or . the frozen embryos "human life" harm." . but said "the question is whether In 1987 the bishops of Great it's a person endowed with inalieBritain said that -spare or "orphan" nable rights." embryos should be implanted in Knack . the mother or some "willing woman" or if that was not possible "What one does easily, one does should be "retained and cared for well." -Carnegie as long as they can be judged to be -...... alive." Indiana attorney James Bopp GOD'S ANCHOR HOLDS Jr., general counsel for the National Right to Life Committee, viewed ----~ the irial as a custody battle and
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