t eanc 0 VOL. 39, NO. 42
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Friday, October 27,1995
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Cal[)On Law Society report says "aye" to women deacons
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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WASHINGTON (eNS) - The Catholic Church can ordain women as permanent deacons, and this "may even be desirable for the United States," says a report accepted Oct. 18 by the Canon Law Society of America. The report, three years in the making, said that only a few changes in current church law all "within the authority of the Apost{)lic See to make" - would be needed to permit the ordination of deaconesses. "The practical effect, however, would be to open up ordained ministry as permanent deacons to women, enabling them to receive all seven sacraments, and making them capable of assuming offices ... which are now closed to women because they are c1os(:d to lay persons," it said. Rome could leave it up to bishops' conferences to decide whether to permit deaconesses in their area, it said. Within a conference that decided to permit deaconesses, each bishop would be free to decide whether his diocese should have them. "Women have been ordained permanent deacons in the past, and it would be possible for the church to determine to do so again," said the 53-page report.
WASHINGTON (eNS) - Parishes can playa crucial role in preventing child sexual abuse and healing its wounds, says a statement issued Oct. 26 by two committees of the U.S. bishops. The statement urg(:s parishes to create an atmosphere of trust and safety that encourages victims, abusers Or those who know of 'abuse to come forwa:rd. Parishes should e:,tablish procedures to respond to reports of abuse and develop programs to teach people about sexual abuse issues, it says. It suggests mentioning sexual abuse in homilies when appropriate and regularly printing in parish bulletins the name llnd phone number of an expert who can be contacted for help in dealing with a situation of child sex.ual abuse. It discusses some of the signs of sexual abuse and some of the characteristics often found in sexual abusers. But it warns, "It is impossible to reliably identify potential abusers." It says that in cases of sexual abuse in families it must be recognized that "it is not always possible to keep the family together." The statement, titled "Walk in the Light: A Pastoral Response to Child Sexual Abuse," was de-
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
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Hospital
JOHN MITCHELL, IRayor of Fall River, presents a proclamation to Patricia Selleck and members of the St. Anne's Mobile Mammography Unit staff. (Vieira photo)
Saint Anne's Hospital urges mammograms aware that they are at risk and to check with their doctors to see whether they should get a mammogram," he said. "I also urge each and every resident of Fall River to make sure the women they care about participate in this program."
veloped jointly by' the bishops' Committee on Women in Society and in the Church and their Committee on Marriage and Family Life. Three years ago the same two committees jointly wrote "When I Call for Help," a widely praised statement addressing domestic violence and urging parishes to assist battered wives. Dolores Leckey, executive director of the Secretariat for Family, Laity, Wome~ and Youth, which serves both committees, said the statement on domestic violence helped many dioceses and parishes develop their own training programs or local networks of resources to address that issue. She declined to predict whether the new statement would have the same kind of impact. "It's an effort to reach out to the child, or to the adult who was abused as a child," she said. "It's a modest first step," she added. "I hope it's going to help people who need the help." Publication of the new statement was approved by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Administrative Committee, a body of more than 50 elected bishops. "Any act of child sexual abuse is
morally evil. It is never justified," the statement says. It defines child sexual abuse as any kind of exploitation of a child for the sexual gratification of an adult. "Because the abuse often occurs in the home and the victims are children, child sexual abuse over the centuries has been cloaked in a conspiracy of silence," it says. It calls on the Christian community "to shatter the walls of loneliness, shame and fear that isolate those who are sexually abused," helping 'them to tell their story as a first step toward healing. It says men commit 90 percent of the abuse, and about 70 to 90 percent is committed by persons the child knows. "While we recognize that sexual abuse of boys is significant some studies estimate it at 20 to 25 percent of all child victims - the overwhelming number of sexual abuse victims are girls," the statement says. "We are especially alarmed at the large number of victims who are girls under age 12." The statement follows years of work by the U.S. bishops - both as a body and individually in their Turn to Page II
The mammography unit, a large RV-type van with couches, wallto-wall carpeting and state-of-theart mammography, developing, and video equipment, has been in operation for a year, is certified by the American College of Radiology and the Food and Drug Administration, and is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Radiation Control Program. "One of the best things about the Mobile Mammography Unit is the convenience it offers women Turn to Page 13
SUSAN O'BRIEN, RN, MSN, and Ann Mitchell, MSW, LICSW, are co-facilitators ofa therapy and support group for women diagnosed with breast cancer. (Vieira photo)