FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER
t eanc 0 VOL. 25, NO. 44
Tuiti(~n
FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSEnS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
FALL RIVER, MASS.., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1981
20c, $6 Per Year
credit support en'cour'ages, educators
·Bishop Thoma·s C. Kelly, genFather George W. Cilleman, diocesan director of education, eral secretary of the U.S. Cathsays he is encouraged by Presi- .olic Conference in Washington dent Reagan's statement of sup- said the conference was "pleased port for tuition tax credit legis- and gratified" at the president's lation. message. The' ·statement came in a teleThe bishop said the usec gram to the Chief Administra- "will do all that it can to comtors of Catholic 'Education, plement the efforts of President (CACE), meeting last week in Reagan and the 97th Congress Anaheim, Calif. In it thl! presi· to bring forth acceptable and efdent declared 'that "this admin- fective tax credit legislation, and istration will keep its pll~ge to I urge all those who feel strongwork with this Congress to ly about justice in American edufashion the kind of legislation cation to continue their organizwhich provides tax relief to the ed efforts in this vitally imporfamilies which pay tuittion .in tant campaign." addition to supporting thlrlr pubFollowing reception of the lic schools." president's message, CACE mem-
bers passed a resolution stating "that CACE calls upon all its membership to urge a continuing campaign from parents, teachers and administrators to complement the president and those members of Congress who are supporting tuition tax credit legislation and to encourage the support of all members of the Congress toward clear and decisive action toward enactment of tuition tax credit legislation by the 97th Congress." In the Fall River diocese a letter-writing campaign is already underway, with principals requesting parents to contact legislators without delay.
Typical of communications is that sent last week to parents of students at Bishop Connolly High School, Fall River, by Father Frederick J. O'Brien, SJ, principal. Noting that hopes of passage of tuition tax credit legislation depend on "a steady barrage of favorable messages from constituents," he urged pare'nts to write senators and representatives immediately, supporting S.550 (packwood/Moynihan) if writing to a senator; HR 3665 (Ashbrook) if writing' to a representative. Not only parents but all inter-
ested ,in justice for private and parochial school students are urged to join the letter-writing campaign, noted diocesan officials. Addresses of senators and representatives follow: Hon. Edward M. Kennedy, lOt Russell Senate Bldg., Washington, D.C., 20510. Hon. Paul E. Tsongas, 324 Russell senate Bldg., Washington, D.C., 20510. Hon. Margaret M. HeekIer, 2312 Rayburn Bldg., Washington, D.C., 20515. Hon. Gerry E. Studds, 1501 Longworth House Office Bldg., Washington, D.C., 20515.
Code ojf Canon Law • • sprIng awaitedl In VATICAN CITY (NC) - A document which CathoHc authorities said involved the widest consultation in church history received a top level l!xamination prior to its promulgation. The church's proposed new Code of Canon Law, in p,reparation for the past 18 years, was reviewed by a committ~! of 55 cardinals and 19 archbishops and bishops invited to meet with the commission of experts whoa drafted the proposed revisions. Churches sources say that the new code, after revisions suggested at the meeting aIlld final review by Pope John Paul II, will probably be published in the spring. Cardinal Pericle Felici" president of the Pontifical Commission for the Revision of Ule Code of Canon Law, said consultation during the new code's preparation involved 185 people from 31 nations, including 14 laypeople. The cardinal said that fashioning the new code had il1volved 2,160 meetings over 6,37fi hours. He said that the breadth of the consultative process was "without precedent in the leg~slative history of the church." The Code of' Canon L~lw contains the rules which govern the Latin Rite church's daily operations, including guidelines for religious life, ecumenical activity and the administration olf sacraments. The commission to revise the code was first appointed by Pope John XXIII in 1963. The new code will replace the current code, promulgated by' Pope Benedict XV in 1917. The 1917 version was the first formal
codification of laws during the church's history. Although the text of the proposals have not been made public, .church sources said they streamline the former document, reducing 2,414 canons to 1,728. The proposals are said to be more pastorally oriented, reducing, for example, the number of situations for which church penalties, such as excommunication, are incurred. When the new code is promul. gated, there is expected to be a "vacatio legis," a delay before the document is actually put into practice. When the 1917 code was promulgated, it did not take effect for a year. In an interview on Vatican Radio Oct. 20 Cardinal Felici said that a yet unsettled questioncomes from those who would like to abolish the automatic appeal which the church's law currently provides when a marriage is annulled Currently, the United States and some other countries are operating under a Vatican indult which suspends this mandatory appeal, thus' expediting the annulment process. In the fall of 1980 Cardinal Felici, also prefect of the church's highest court, the Apostolic Signature, expressed his concern to the World Synod of Bishops, saying he had figures indicating that in the past 10 years;.::annulments in the marriage -courts of one nation have risen by 5,000 percent. At the time, the general interpretation was that the cardinal was referring to the United States.
ADULT ADVISORS join students at Coyle and Cassidy High School, Taunton, to plan annual diocesan Vocation Awareness Day. From left, Peter Murray, Christine Place, Father Horace Travassos, Renee Rodrigue, Sister Sandra Marcoux, SUSC, Michael Cote; seated, Kelly Moran, Donna Hoye, Ted Figlock, Doug Sousa. (Baptista Photo)
Monsignor 'was astounded' "I was astounded," admits but was the sixth anniversary of Msgr. Norman J. Ferris of St. Msgr. Ferris' pastorate at St. Anthony of the Desert Maronite Anthony of the Desert. He had previously administered the parparish, Fall River. He referred to the moment ish for five years, following the on Oct. 18, at the close of cere- death of Chor-Bishop Joseph monies dedicating the parish's Eid, the previous pastor. Born in Fall River, the new new St. Sharbel Center, when Maronite Rite Bishop Francis monsignor was ordained in the M. Zayek announced that Fath- Roman rite of the Catholic er Ferris was now Monsignor Church in 1953 because at that time there w~s no Maronite dioFerris. The title was actually ap- cese in the United States and he proved on Aug. 10, said Bishop would have had to travel to Zayek, but he decided to wait Lebanon for ordination. He was, for a special occasion at which . however, granted the privilege to announce it and to surprise of celebrating Mass in both the Maronite and Roman rites. even its recipient. October 18 was not only the After serving for 17 years as dedication day of the new center associate pastor of St. Mary's
parish, Taunton, Msgr. Ferris was stationed briefly at St. Margaret's, Buzzards Bay, and Immaculate Conception, Fall River, . before becoming administrator of St. Anthony of the Desert. At that time, he said, he transferred to the Maronite rite, retaining the privilege of celebrating the Roman rite Mass when necessary. He said he often concelebrates Roman rite Masses and also administers the sacrament of infant baptism according to the Roman ritual in cases where the father belQngs to the Roman rite and the mother is a Maronite, but it is desired to Turn to Page Sixteen