SERVING SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
t eanc 0 •
VOL. 22, NO. 43
FALL RIVER, MASS., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1978
20c, $6 Per Year
Varied Agenda Faces Bishops' Fall Meeting
State To Recall T'extbooks from Parish Schools
WASHINGTON (NC) - The nation's Catholic bishops will discuss statements on the Middle East and on ministry to handicapped persons, a national communications collection and changes in Communion practices at their semi-annual general meeting in Washington Nov. 13-16. The bishops, meeting as the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the U.S. Catholic Conference, will also elect several new committee chairmen, hold workshops on vocations and changing church-state relations, hear several information reports and approve a budget for 1979. Here is a subject-by-subject rundown of the bishops' agenda: - The Communicaitons Collection. Last year, in a close vote, the bishops fell short of the two-thirds vote needed to establish a national collection for Catholic communications media. They will vote on the proposal again this year. - The Handicapped. The bishops will vote on a pastoral letter on the handicapped developed by the usec Committee on Social Development and World Peace and the usec Advisory Committee on Handicapped Individuals. - The Middle East. The bishops will vote on a statement concerning developments since the bishops' 1973 statement on the Middle East which called for considering the legitimate claims of all parties involved in the Midlle East dispute, including Israel and the Palestinian Arabs. Turn to Page Seven
In the wake of implementation of the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision of last July holding that private school pupils may not borrow textbooks from public school systems, Father George W. Coleman, diocesan director of education, has reiterated his statement at that time. He said that a directive from the state department of education to public schol superintendents that loaned textbooks should be recalled no later than the end of the first semester of the current school year will impose "additional financial burdens on parents who are struggling to exercise their right to choose an appropriate education for thei!' children." In cities and towns throughout the diocese, Catholic school principals have been notified of the impending recall of texts they had expected to use throughout the current year. Reactions have varied from astonishment to bitterness, with some parents voicing doubt as to whether they will be able to strain already tight budgets to keep children in Catholic schools, with the burden of buying additional textbooks in addition to those already purchased separately. In another development on the education scene, the U.S. Catholic Conference has accused the Internal Revenue Service of "unjustifiably intruding into the internal affairs of Catholic schools." George Reed, USCC general counsel, made the charge in writ¡ Turn to Page Seven
POPE JOHN PAUL II AND BISHOP DANIEL A. CRONIN (FeUcl Photo)
Reflections on a Memorable Trip By Bishop Daniel A. Cronin Many months ago plans were made for me to be in Rome in mid-October to fulfill the canonical requirement that all diocesan ordinaries have of making, at stated intervals, the so-called "Ad Limina Visit." This visit consists primarily in going to the thresholds ad Iimina of the tombs of the Apostles
Peter and Paul. By long and hallowed tradition, this act of journeying to Rome to visit the Basilica of St. Peter and the Basilica of St. Paul and praying at the tombs of those great Apostles is a significant expression of faith, eccl~sial communion and loyal adherence to the truths revealed by our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ and preached so authoritatively and effectively by Peter and Paul. Another element in the "Ad Limina Visit" is the opportunity to present personally to the Holy Father the expression of loyalty and respectful obedience of the bishop and the clergy, religious Turn to Page Ten
Bishops of Commonwealth Issue Statement The four Catholic bishops of Massachusetts, Cardinal Humberto Medeiros of Boston, Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan of Worcester, Bishop Daniel A. Cronin of Fall River and Bishop Joseph F. Maguire of Springfield, have issued an election message to be read in all Catholic churches of the Commonwealth this weekend. It follows: As citizens of this Common-
wealth are once more inundated by pre-election campaigning, it is necessary for all voters to keep primary issues and
basic facts in focus. Because of the resulting confusion of conscience, a certain urgency is now evolving in relation to the November election.
filling this moral responsibility, it is imperative that Catholics realize the law of God extends to the polling booth as much
To avoid the problems of misrepresentation, it is necessary to remind Catholics in this Commonwealth that they must be informed politically as well as morally.
voter information page 2
Leaving party labels and personalities aside, Catholics should nevertheless realize that they have the serious obligation of facing the basic election issues and not leaving them to someone else's determination. In order to be effective in ful-
as to every other area of life. It is well, then, as we approach the November election, to remind Catholics, and indeed all people of good will, that they best exercise the virtue of pa-
triotism by prayerful, intelligent involvement in the democratic process. The right to cast a ballot has been won and defended by the blood, sweat, and tears of millions of Americans. It should not be viewed as a mere exercise in politics but as ~ responsibility requiring an informed decision in order to vote effectively. The right to cast a ballot should no longer b( viewed simply as a privilege. It now must be seen as a duty. Approaching the use of their franchise in this way, Catholics can vote with the courage and conviction of faith on such issues as abortion, health
care, poverty, human rights and crime, knowing that they are fulfilling the role that God re: quires of them as responsible citizens. For Catholics, the right to vote is a trust that not only protects the freedoms of our religious heritage but also preserves the very climate in which freedom is allowed to fulfill its destiny. Never should we be misled by the propaganda that would have Catholics leave their faith aside when they vote. May God continue to guide all who seek to foster responsible and life-supporting government through the electoral process.