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.FOR SOUTHQST MASSACHUSETTSCAPE.COD & 'SLANDS
VOL. 31, NO. 44
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Friday, November 6; 1987
FALL RIVER, MASS.
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usee backs
War spending limit urged by Msgr. Hoye WASHINGTON (NC) - The general secretary of the U.S. Catholic Conference has urged members of Congress to limit defense spending and retain nuclear weapons restrictions in a major military funding bill. The official, Msgr. Daniel F. Hoye, commented in a letter to congressional conference committee members finalizing the defense authorization package, which passed the House of Representatives and Senate in slightly different forms. His remarks were released by the USCC in Washington Oct. 28. The House version, which would . provide $289.4 billion for fiscal 1988, would cut the defense budget by 4.6 percent. after inflation, and contains more restrictions tha:n the Senate version. Msgr. Hoye noted that "the dedication of so much of the national budget to military purposes has greatly reduced our ability to deal with the social and economic needs of the nation, especially the growing needs of the poor." In regard to armaments, he backed: - Provisions, found in both bills, to limit the development, testing or deployment of antiballistic missile systems and "maintain the integrity of the (1972) ABM treaty." - As stipulated in both bills, adherence to the SALT II, strategic arms limitation talks treaty, drawn up by the United States and Soviet Union and supported by. the USCC in 1979 testimony, but never ratified by the Senate. - A House provision forbidding spending for nuClear tests of over one kiloton unless President Reagan certifies that the Soviet Union has failed to adhere to such limits. He also opposed production of binary chemical weapons and reiterated USCC disagreement with funding of the MX missile, which opponents regard as having a potentially destabilizing effect on the nuclear arms race and being costly at a time of pressing human needs. President Reagan has threatened to veto legislation that contains restrictions ~ike those proposed in the House and Senate. bills. Msgr. Hoye said the House version ofthe bill, with its price tag of over $289 billion, could "bring about the real reductions we believe Turn to Page Six
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public school moral values WASHINGTON (NC) "Schooling without moral education is poor schooling," according to the U.S. Catholic Conference. In a statement released at the end of October the USCC called· for a "renewed shared moral vision within the public schools" and said such a goal is both possible and important. "Explicit and authentic education in' critical moral thinking is necessary for quality education," according to the statement. "The goal is distinctly practical: to define and implement a form of moral education, integrated into the total curriculum, which .cor. responds to student needs and community consensus," the statement said. The statement was drafted by the USCC Committee on Education, which consists of six bishops and six members of the laity or religious orders as well as .several non-voting members, and was approved by the 50-bishop USCC Administrative Board. Bishop William A. Hughes of Covington, Ky., is chairman of the education committee.
POPE JOHN PAUL II speaks at Mass closing the world Synod of Bishops. (NC/UPI -Reuter photo)
Clarify, says synod VATICAN CITY (NC) - The to prepare a major docume'~t after the 1972 norms was the establishworld Synod of Bishops said Cath- studying the recommendatIOns. ment of acolyte and lector as instiolic lay roles and ministries need The document will respect the tuted lay ministries reserved to to be clarified and revised, but "author's rights" of the synod, th,e men. how that should be done is up to pope said. He, did not say when It The synod proposals also asked Pope John Paul II. would be issued, but said the prep- that the terms "ministry," "duty," The almost 230 synod delegates aration would be done in coopera- a'nd "office" be clarified. who met Oct. I-30 in Rome also tion with a IS-member council of The synod delegates left this to told the pope not to let concern for the synod general secretariat. Under the pope, Coadjutor Archbishop lay ministries overshadow the , church rules, the pope is not obliged Pierre Eyt of Bordeaux. France. laity's primary responsibility to . to follow the synod recommen- said at an Oct. 30 Vatican news Christianize the secular world. dations. conference capping the. synod. The synod's final recommendaThe recommendations sent to The synod did not make "prelimtions to the pope did not include a the pope were not made public by inary judgments on how to carry proposal favored by some that all the Vatican, which released only a out these revisions," said Archnon-ordained ministries be equally summary of the list of proposals. bishop Eyt, synod special secretary. open to men and women. A prelim- National Catholic News Service . "It has asked the Holy Father to inary set of recommendations had obtained a copy of the entire list: clarify ministries. There is no point included the proposal. The synod recommended pOSSI- in saying in what manner these Other proposals, however, enble revisions of Pope Paul VI's should take place," he added. couraged greater participation by 1972 order that established norms The synod did not want to dwell women in church life, including for lay ministries. The recommentoo much on lay ministries in the the preparation of pa.storal docudations said the revisions would be church and the attendant issue of ments. based on local church needs but women's roles in the church because The recommendations were condid not say how the revisions and "we don't want to cut off the laity tained in a list of 54 proposals sen~ clarifications should be done or Turn to Page Six to the pope, who said he planned what they should include. Among
The statement called on governments at local, state and national levels to convene parents, teachers, school administrators and citizens to address moral needs of children and young people. "On our part, we pledge our support and involvement," the statement promised. "The Catholic community at the national, diocesan and parish levels should enter into dialogue with their brothers and sisters across this land to address this national concern .in a spirit that preserves everyone's integrity and dignity, while renewing a national moral vision. Such a vision, the document said, "must be grounded in the common bond of humanity that links people of every race, creed and color." The statement said that in joining the national debate over public school moral education, the bishops "do not wish to impose a religious viewpoint on our fellow citizens, but we do wish to provide our reasoned reflection on what we perceive to be a national concern." Such problems as teen-age suidice, pregnancy and alcohol and drug abuse were cited as "but some of the signs" of students' struggles Turn to Page Six
Is God calling you? See pages 7 to 14.