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VOL. 35, NO. 42
•
Friday, October 19,1990
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly •
511 Per Year
Celibacy affirmed at World Synod
BIDDING FAREWELL: Bishop Daniel A. Cronin celebrated Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River, last week in honor of departing Sisters of S1. Joan of Arc Theresa Belisle, Viola Morin and Irene Chasse, who due to the voation shortage in their congregation are returning to their motherhouse in Sillery, Quebec. Sisters of the order had served at the Cathedral rectory for 51 years. From left, Father Horace J. Travassos, Cathedral rector; Sister Theresa Poirier, representing superior Sister Yolande Roy of the motherhouse; Sister Morin, Bishop Cronin, Msgr. JohnJ. Oliveira, Sisters Belisle and Chasse. (Hickey photo)
DISCUSSING PLANS for Pastoral Care Week are, from left, S1. Anne's Hospital president Alan D. Knight, Sister Lucille Socciarelli, Dot S1. Laurent, and Sister Dorothy Ruggiero. (Hickey photo)
St. Anne's Hospital launches Pastoral Care Week Mayor Carlton M. Viveiros of Fall River has issued a proclamation saluting St. Anne's Hospital, Fall River, for its contributions to the community and declaring Oct. 22 through 28 Pastoral Care Week in the city in conjunction with a national observance of the occasion. National Pastoral Care Week, this year themed "Partners in Healing," is sponsored by the National Association of Catholic Chaplains under the auspices of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Steve Hug of the mayor's office presented the proclamation to St. Anne's Hospital president Alan D. Knight; Sister Dorothy Ruggiero, OP, chairman ofthe board of directors; pastoral care staff member Sister Lucille Socciarelli, RSM; and Dot St. Laurent, pastoral care secretary. It recognizes that: ... Pastoral care is central to St. Anne's Hospital's mission to provide high quality medical service to the people of Fall River and surrounding area;
... Pastoral care, an integral part of St. Anne's Hospital since 1972, works closely with other departments in the hospital to ensure medical, spiritual and psychological rene-' wal; ... St. Anne's pastoral care department has a reputation for providing an atmosp.here of compassion and understanding for staff, patients and families. Turn to Page 10
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - The. exercises to tiie pre'-'seminary "spirWorld Synod of Bishops on priestitual year." ly formation has closed a second - Recurrent suggestions that week of individual speeches and more emphasis be placed on the begun debate on a midterm docuBible in seminary programs, espement that defends celibacy for cially in places where evangelical priests and stresses spiritual sects are "having a field day," as' training. one bishop put it. The document, called a "relaThe words culture and communtio," was presented following more ity appeared many times in synod than 200 talks by bishops and lay speeches, but the accent was often experts from around the world. It very different. In the synod's first sought to pull together the main week, several bishops spoke of synod arguments for discussion in contemporary culture as a hinsmall groups. drance to formation and said a The Synod of Bishops, which priest's prophetic role must often meets every few years to discuss a be countercultural. major church topic, closes Oct. 28. That sentiment was echoed by Written by Brazilian Cardinal Belgian Cardinal' Godfried DanLucas Moreira Neves, the relatio neeIs of Brussels, who said there is said: a danger that a priest's spirituality - Celibacy cannot be separated can be eclipsed by social engagefrom priestly life - even though ment. the worldwide priest shortage can Latvian Bishop Vilhelms Nukes, lead to the "temptation" of sug- an auxiliary administrator in Riga, gesting the ordination of married took that point further, saying a men. priesthood candidate should cut - Doctrinal content should be out "radio and television, useless emphasized in seminaries, since visits and conversations in favor of many candidates arrive with gaps serious and constant study and in their understanding of basic work." church teachings. Like many synod participants, - A pre-seminary year of spir- he stressed the spiritual over the itual formation, which has worked social in formation. well on local levels, might now be Other bishops, however, argued considered for the universal church. that for a priest to do his job well The relatio said seminarians and today he must be adept in local priests should learn how to relate Turn to Page 10 well to women, avoiding both "too much familiarity" and "shyness." It did not disc.uss the role of women in the formation of priests, an issue that had been raised by several bishops. On other controversial questions - such as' the relation between a priest's spiritual identity and his social role - the relatio noted the wide divergence of opinions and asked for further debate. The identity issue was at the heart of many individual speeches last week. Bishops discussed how much the priest is "of the people" and how closely his formation should reflect his local culture. Some bishops called for freeFATHER DONALD J. Bowdom in devising local formation en, shown here spreading the programs that go outside the c1as- . Good News by. meansof'.a sic seminary tradition. There were ntimeographpurchasedW.lth major differences over whether fun~s donated by theFanl~iver priests should be trained as social diocese, is amOng 53mi$$i(ul~S as well. as sacramental leaders of from. the Fall RiveI'4i~",e their communities. bonoredon MissionSu~~, The synod also continued to Oct. Zl" Theonly.dJo~!ian hear: pde$toothelistfbe'b~i~~~~ - A mild running debate over 1973 s~vtd.inBoJiYill~i'btb~' celibacy and how it can best be Bostoo"basedSoeiety;' ...' . understood. Several Europeans ".mes. Yo~tPl'llY urged a strong reaffirmation of the sonal • and... . . celibacy requirement, while some .~ffetedtbrp Africans reminded their colleagues the Propaga that it poses some practical probWill helpbim ...daU 0 lems for priests. sioners to continuebdl! ...•.. - Calls for improved s.piritual thousands of people·tbeb()pe· formation as the keystone to semthat springs from bearing<tbe. inary improvement. The pinticuGoodNews. lar proposals varied from Ignatian