t eanc 0 VOL. 27, NO. 41
Bishop
en route
to Rome
Bishop 'Daniel A. Cronin is en route to Rome for the "ad lim ina" visit to the Vatican re quired every five years of bish ops and military vicars. The term ad limina, meaning ""to the threshold," refers to a visit to the tombs of the apos tles Peter and Paul made by bishops in the course of the visit. Also part of the visit are presentation of a written "state of the diocese", report known as the Quinquennial Report, to the pope and consultation with Vatican officials as needed. In a letter to priests of the diocese written before his de parture, the bishop noted that "by a happy convergence of cir cumstances, tb~ "ad limina visit comes during the Holy Year marking the Jubilee of our Re demption, which is an extra ordinary time, indeed, for my visit to the Eternal City. "During the ad limina visit," Tum to Page Fourteen
M'onth's
mind
A month's mind Mass for Car dinal Humberto Medeiros was offered by Bishop Daniel A. Cro nin "last Sunday at St. Mary's Cathedral, Fall River. Auxiliary Bishop Thomas V. Daily, admin istrator for the Boston archdio cese, will offer a similar Mass at noon Monday in Holy Cross Cathedral, Boston. He will then travel to St. Pat rick's Cemetery, Fall River, where he will offer prayers at the cardinal's grave. There the original tombstone has been reTurn to Page Fifteen
Mrs. Cronin As The Anchor went to press word was received of the UJbo expected death on OCt. 19 In Cambridge of Mrs. Emlly (Joyce) Cronin, mother of Bishop Daniel A. Cro,un. She Is surviVed by her husband, Daniel G. Cronin, and three other sons, Robert, Peter and Joseph. Funeral arrange ments were Incomplete at press time.
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
FALL RIYER, MASS., FRIDAV, OCTOBER 21, 1983
$8 Per Year
Penance
norms
studie'd
By NC News service General absolution has emerg ed as the "hot potato" of the sixth world Synod of Bishops, while several delegates have al so stressed the importance of linking social justice to the sy nod's theme of reconci!liation and penance. The 1983 synod, an advisory body to Pope John Paul II, be gan at the Vatican Sept. 29 to consider "Reconciliation and Penance in the Mission of the Church." Its delegates have expressed MSGR. JOHN OUVEIRA, diocesan director of the Society for the Propagation of such strongly differing opinions the Faith, (center), discusses its worldwide operations with Father Paul Medeiros, OMI on general absolution that Auxi liary Bishop Stephen Naidoo of (left), and Father Raymond Marquis, OMI. (Torchia Photo) Cape Town, South Africa, term ed it the gathering's "hot po , tato." "It is physically impossible for most of the faithful to con fess their sins individually once Father Medeiros OMI, of S1. Stephen's, Attleboro; A special collection at week Father Medeiros, a graduate a year to a priest whom they end Masses in diocesan churches Sister Rita Marie Regan, MM, will mark World Mission Day on and her brother, Bishop Joseph of St. Anthony High School, New can see only once or twice a Oct. 23. The annual day of W. Regan, MM, of St. Joseph's Bedford, was ordained in 1964 year," Archbishop Gabriel Wako of Khartoum, Sudan, told the parish, Fairhaven; and Sister as an Oblate of Mary Immacu prayer and sacrifice joins Ameri synod. and has served in Brazil late can Catholics with their brothers Catherine Therese Sottak, DHS, since that time. His assignment But Archbishop Dermot Ryan and, sisters throughout tile world of St. James parish, New Bed is the organization and coordina of Dublin,". Ireland, warned that in a common effort to sustain ford. tion of 17 basic christian com if general absolution continues, the missionary effort of the munities within S1. Joseph's par private confession could fall into church. ' • ish in Sao Paulo, the largest city. disuse. Locally coordinated by Msgr. The basic communities offer John J. Oliveira, diocesan direc Current church norms allow A Special Christian formation and seek to for general absolution under tor of the Society for the Propa understand and act to improve special curcur;nstances and only gation of the Faith, the obser the political and social condition with the understanding that a vance is a time to remember the of the country in the light of the scores of diocesan missionaries penitent' will, as soon as possible, Gospel, said Father Medeiros. He individually confess serious sins serving around the globe. Section noted that unemployment in the Among the mare Father Paul to a priest. area stands at 25 percent and E. Medeiros, OMI, a native of In the synod's opening days Begins on Page 5. that workers receive $80 to $120 S1. Anthony's parish, New Bed the four elected bishops repre Tum to Page Two ford; Father Raymond Marquis, senting the U.S. hierarchy sub mitted a carefully worded joint intervention asking, for clarifica tions regarding the relationship between general absolution and individual confession. Cardinal- Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Vatican Congrega tion for the Doctrine of the Faith, addressing the issue, said that the recipient of general ab solution must confess mortal sins as soon as possible and that priests cannot grant general ab solution simply because of large numbers of penitents.
SundayWorld Mission Day
VOCATIONS
BON VOYAGE is wished Bishop Cronin and Msgr. John J. Oliveira (left) by Msgr. Thomas J. Harrington. (Torchia Photo)
The U.S. delegates acknow ledged at a press conference that Cardinal Ratzingelr~ interven tion carried "special weight" be cause of his Vatican post. But they said the interveption should not stop discussion~ especially of mission countries' concerns about absolution.