FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSmS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS VOL. 32, NO. 42
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Friday, October 21,1988
F ALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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510 Per Year
Pope defines scope of infallibility VATICAN CITY (NC)- Pope John Paul II strongly defended the church's teaching authority and said confusion over the "so-called right to dissent" is hurting the faithful. In a talk to a group of U.S. bishops from New York Oct. 15, the pope said the "charism of infallibility" enjoyed by the church's teaching hierarchy extends not only to solemn definitions of popes and councils, but to the church's "universal ordinary" teaching, too. Even non-infallible teachings should be received with "religious submission of mind and will," he said. The pope said there is room for "a legitimate pluralism in theol-
ogy" .in the church. But he said In explaining his remarks about such pluralism is limited by "the infallibility, the pope cited the unity of faith and the teachings of . Second Vatican Council;s docuthe church's authentic magis- ment on the church, "Lumen Genterium." tium." That document said infalli"With the passing of time it is bility was present when a pope ever more evident how certain formally proclaims a doctrine perpositions on the so-called 'right to taining to faith and morals, or dissent' have had harmful reper- when a pope and an ecumenical cussions on the moral conduct of a council define a teaching on such number of the faithful," he said. matters. It also mentioned the posThe pope emphasized a point he sibility of bishops proclaiming docmade during his 1987 U.S. trip, trine infallibly, under certain conthat some Catholics tend to be ditions. "selective" in following church Those conditions have been the teachings. subject or'much theological debate "Some people appeal to 'free- since the council. So has the meandom of conscience' to justify this ing ofthe term "universal ordinary way of acting. Therefore, it is teaching" of the church and the necessary to clarify that it is not extent to which it shares in inconscience that 'freely' establishes fallibility. what is right and wrong," he said. Some theologians have proTheologians, in particular, must posed, for example, that the remember that their role is based church's posi~ion on birth control on service to the church and the has been definitively held and unifaith, the pop'e said. They have a versally taught, and therefore "grave responsibility" toward this would qualify as an infallible teachservice, particularly if they have ing. Many others disagree, howreceived a canonical mission to ever. teach in a church faculty, he said. The pope did not mention speThe pope warned against seeing cific examples of theological disthe faith "as a philosophical inven- sent. But one of the most famous tion to be perfected." Instead, he cases in recent years occurred at said, it is a "divine deposit to be The Catholic University' of Amer· faithfully guarded and infallibly ica in Washington, where Father interpreted." . Charles Curran was stripped of his The task of interpreting it "has canonical right to teach theology been entrusted exclusively to the because of his dissenting positions living teaching office of the on some church teachings. church," he said. The case was a controversial This teaching office, or magisteone in the United Stiites and rium, "includes the charism of infallibility, present not only in the prompted a debate about infallisolemn definitions of the' Roman bility as understood by the Vatipontiff and of ecumenical coun- can and by theologians. Some U.S. · cils, but also in the universal ordi- theologians said at the time that in nary magisterium, which can truly acting against Father Curran, Vat· b.e considered as the usual expres- ican officials were blurring the dissIOn of the church's infallibility," tinction between infallible and Turn to Page 14 the pope said.
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The annual convention for eleFather Thomas Lynch of Stratford, Conn., former director ofthe mentary and secondary school U.S. Catholic Conference Depart- teachers begins at 8:30 a.m. with a liturgy celebrated by-Bishop Daniel ment of Family Ministry, will give the keynote address at the Dioce- A. Cronin. A coffee hour will precede Father san Department of Education's teachers' convention Monday at . Lynch's address. 23 workshops on "social issues Bishop Connolly High School, Fall of- interest to our teachers," acRiver. The priest, who spoke this spring cording to Sister Ann Moore, CND, an associate superintendent at a program sponsored by the Department of Education's office of diocesan schools, will be availof Continuing Formation of Clergy able. Topics to be addressed include and Laity and conducted an enrichsuicide prevention, AIDS minisment day for diocesan marriage try, child sexual abuse and buildpreparation team members, holds ing self-esteem. master's degrees in theology and Teachers will be served a pastoral counseling and has comluncheon and will have the opporpleted doctoral studies in pastoral tunity to view exhibitors' displays. ministry.
LaSALETTE MISSIONER Father Donald Pelletier leads bishops and priests at the blessing of a new parish hall in Madagascar funded by members of a 28-year-old mission club originally founded and coordinated by his aunt, Mrs. Frederick Poirier of St. Joseph parish, Attleboro.
A missioner speaks By Father Donald Pelletier, MS The following article on the importance of this weekend's Mission Sunday collection was received· by Msgr. John J. Oliveira, VE, chancellor and director of the diocesan office of the Society for the Propagation ofthe Faith from LaSalette Father Donald Pelletier, who grew up in St. Joseph's parish, Attleboro, and who has served 30 years as a missioner in Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean off southeast Africa. Generally people like to support a specific project; they give generously to a concrete cause that is close at hand and can be evaluated. This is natural enough and can explain the hesitancy of some to contribute to a general anonymous fund such as the Propagation of the Faith or Mission Sunday collection. Yet as Catholics this is our most efficient way of helping missions: "We believe in one Catholic Church" and the Propagation of the Faith ties us directly to the world mission of the Church. St. Paul initiated the first collections in Antioch, then on his missionary journeys and in chapters 8 and 9 of 2nd Corinthians he elaborates his theology regarding them. Christ had already taught us the spirit of true Christian giving: "In giving alms you are not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Keep your deeds of mercy secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you" (Mt.6:3-4). The Propagation of the Faith collection continues' in the best Pauline tradition because monies collec"ted are sent to the elders of
the Church in Rome who in turn distribute them to the needy . churches ofthe world. For some of the poor, unknown corners of the world this is their only source of income. As the Propagation ofthe Faith has other revenues for current expenses, all money gathered through collections is distributed. This centralization of funds in Rome, a concrete sign of unity, remains the strength of the Catholic Church and the envy of other Christian missions. How is this money distributed? Every mission territory dependent on the Propagation of the Faith, every dioce~e, every local church gets an annual ordinary subsidy. Every priest, secular, or religious, local or expatriate, every religious, every lay missionary, every catechist, every school teacher gets his/ her slice of the cake. Diocesan reports and statistics are taken into consideration for this subsidy. Another large share of the money is distributed as extraordinary subsidy for special programs and projects. Here again, any missionary working in a Propagation territory can, through his bishop, present projects and programs that need financing. Today agencies are interested in socioeconomic and human development programs so fortunately the Propagation still finances the construction of churches and other means of evangelization. In most Third World countries we are witnessing extraordinary vitality as the Holy Spirit works powerfully where there is weakness and poverty. Turn to Page 14