FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
teanc 0 VOL. 26, NO. 36
FAll RIVER, MASS." FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1982 .
20c, $6 Per Year
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Vatican hits
Israeli blast
VATICAN CITY (NC) The Vatican reacted sharply Sept. 13 to Israeli criticism of a planned private meeting Sept. 15 or 16 between Pope John Paul II and Vasser Arafat, head of the Pales tine Liberation Organization. "Such an outrage to the truth cannot go unanswered," said Vatican press spokesman Father Romeo Panciroli, after an un named high Israeli official sug gested that the meeting showed papal disregard for the World War II holocaust of Jews and for tens of thousands killed in Leb anon because of the PLO pres ence there. Plans for the pope and Arafat to meet have evoked a bitter controversy since they were an nounced Sept. 10. Israeli government spokesman Dan Meridor said Sept. 12 that
the Israelis would view a papal meeting with the PLO chief "grievously," especially because the pope is "the representative of a moral and spiritual author ity." • But a high government official in Jerusalem who asked not to be named used much stronger language to criticize the 'Vatican. "The church, which did not say a word about the massacre of the Jews for six years in Europe and has not had much to say about the killing of Christians for seven years in Lebanon, is now ready to meet a man who committed the killings in Leb anon and who wants the de struction .of Israel in order to complete the work carried out by the Nazis in Germany," the official said. Tum ,to Page Eleven
Prelate raps
Nicaragua
WASHINGTON (NC) - The president of the U.S. bishops con ference has strongly protested the attacks in Nicaragua against church people and institutions, saying the incidents "have be smirched the image of Nicaragua in the international community." "We cannot fail to protest, in the strongest possible terms, the attempted defamation and acts of physical abuse directed at prominent clerics, the inappro priate exercise of state control over the commmunications media, including those of the church, the apparent threats to the church's role in education, and, most ominous of all, the increasing tendency of public demonstrations to result in bloody conflict," said a Sept. "9 statement by Archbishop John R. Roach of St. Paul-Minneapolis, president of the National Confer-, ence of Catholic Bi;hops. ' "In recent weeks, institutions and persons of the church, in cluding bishops, have been sub jected to attacks of a serious, at times dis~racefuI, nature," said Archbishop Roach.
"They have heightened ten sions within the country, in creased discord, fear and sus picion. They have generated 'a conflict between church and state and have besmirched the image of Nicaragua in the inter national, community," the arch bishop said. A press release issued with BEGINNING MONDAY, the U.S. Catholic Church will be among users of receiving the statement said that recent events in Nicaragua included: dishes like this one as the Catholic Telecommunications Network starts regular satellite - The temporary takeover by transmissions to diocesan downlinks. (NC Photo) the government of a Catholic school in the town' of Masaya which was the scene of an Aug. 17 confrontation between pro government and anti-government , groups in which several people were killed. . . Normally CTNA is not expect offered from 12:30 to 3 p.m., five By John Maher - The beating by an unknown ed to operate as a direct-to-home d~ys a week. WtASHINGTON (NC) - On assailant of the priest who is Material transmitted from or cable system, but it would be Monday the American Catholic CTNA's uplink in New York to technically possible for a cable communications director of the Church will take its first official Westar IV, a communications system to receive directly from Archdiocese of Managua, Nica step into the "brave new world" satellite, will bounce to diocesan the satellite for transmission to ragua, and press allegations he of satellite broadcasting. had been caught in a love tryst. downlinks, explained officials. subscribers, said the officials. "We are the tool in the hands The dioceses will record what , On that day the Catholic Tele - The manhandling by mobs ever programs' they wish and of the bishops, who are the evan communications Network of Am of Bishop Pablo Antonio Vega of make them available on cassettes gelists of the church," said Wasyl erica will begin regular trans Juigalpa, Nicaragua, and Auxili to cable TV operators for airing M. Lew, CTNA executive direcmission of programs and infor ary Bishop Bosco Vivas Robelo Turn to Page Three mation. Initially service will be at any time desired. of Managua.
Brave new world