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FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
FALL RIVER, MASS.
VOL. 44, NO. 35 • Friday, September 15, 2000
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year
Political parties' platforms come under scrutiny By JAMES N. DUNBAR AND CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE REPORTS FALL RIVER - In recent weeks, the U.S. bishops' Administrative Board revisited its 1999 letter on several election topics in "Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium" which was submitted to the platform committees of both the Democratic and Republican parties. Here are excerpts on some of the key issues from the bishops' statement as well as the parties' platforms approved at their conventions in August. ABORTION, ASSISTED SUICIDE AND EUTHANASIA The bishops: Abortion, the deliberate killing of a human being before birth, is never morally acceptable. The purposeful taking of human life by assisted suicide and euthanasia is never an act of mercy, but is an unjustifiable assault on human life. We support constitutional protection for unborn human life, as well as legislative efforts to oppose abortion and euthanasia. We encourage the passage of laws and programs that promote childbirth and adoption over abortion and assist pregnant women and children. We support aid to those who are sick and
dying by encouraging effective palliative care. Democrats: The Democratic platform stands behind the right of every woman to choose, consistent with Roe vs. Wade, and regardless of ability to pay. It is a fundamental constitutional liberty that individual Americans not government - can best take responsibility for mak-
ELECTION~
~®®®~ ing the most difficult and intensely personal decisions regarding reproduction. This year's Supreme Court rulings show that eliminating a woman's right to choose is only one justice away... Our goal is to make abortion less necessary and more rare, not more difficult and more dangerous. We support contraceptive research, family planning, comprehensive family life education and policies that support healthy childbearing. The abortion rate is dropping. Now we must·
support efforts to reduce unintended pregnancies and we call on all Americans to take personal responsibility (for) this ... goal. Republicans: We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and we endorse legislation to make clear that the 14th Amendment's protections apply to unborn children. Our purpose is to have legislative and judicial protection of that right against those who perform abortions. We oppose using public revenues for abortion and will not fund organizations which advocate it. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life. Our goal is to ensure that women with problem pregnancies have the kind of support, material or otherwise, they need for themselves and their babies, not to be punitive toward those for whose difficult situation we have only compassion.... We oppose the nonconsensual withholding of care or treatment because of disability, age or infirmity, just as we oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide, which endanger especially the poor and those on the margins of society. We applaud congressional Republicans for their leadTurn to page eight - Elections
Two seminarians to become transitional deacons ~
THE MISSION team receives applause during a sendoff Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River. From left they are: Sister of the Presentation Marie Ceballos, JoAn Marzelli, Deacon James Marzelli Jr., Father Paul E. Canuel and Father Gustavo Dominguez. (Anchon'Gordon photo)
Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish in Fall OFM Cap., will be present River, are fourth year theology students for the ordinations in Rome. at the Pontifical North American Col-
FALL RIVER - As they advance towards the priesthood for service in the diocese, seminarians David A. Pignato and Rodney E. Thibault will be ordained transitional deacons on Oct. 5, by Cardinal James Francis Stafford, prefect of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, at ceremonies in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Pignato, of St. Mary's Parish, Foxboro, and Thibault, a member of
lege in Rome. The son of David and Carol Pignato of Foxboro, the seminarian was educated in the public school system there and graduated from Foxboro High School in 1988. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from Holy Cross College in 1992 and began to study law at Boston College Law School. He then entered Harvard Law School and received his doctorate Turn to page 13 - Deacons
Diocese sends missionaries to serve Honduras' poor ~
Bishop O'Malley commissions five to carry the Gospel message to Central America. By MIKE
GORDON ANCHOR STAFF
FALL RIVER - Dispatching a quintet from the diocese to serve the indigent in Honduras, Bishop Sean P. O'Malley OFM
Cap., told the mix of clergy, religious and laity that everyone is called to hear God's word and proclaim his glory and to "look beyond our borders and see how big the Church is." At a 5 p.m. Mass last Sunday in St. Mary's Cathedral, Bishop O'Malley, who was the principal celebrant, blessed the team who will minister for the next five years at two Turn to page J3 - Missionaries DAVID
A.
PIGNATO
RODNEY
E. THIBAULT