teanc 0 VOL. 25, NO. 46
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSEnS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS
FALL RIVER, MASS., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1981
20c, $6 Per Year
U.S. bishops back Hatch a.mendment WASHINGTON (NC) - Calling abortion a continuing nSltional scandal, two leading U.S. bishops have broken precedent to back specific wording for a human life amendment to the Constitution. Archbishop John R. Roa<:h of St. Paul-Minneapolis and Cardinal Terence Cooke of New York told a Senate subcommittee they supported a controversial amendment proposed by Sen. tOrrin Hatch (R-Utah) because it "has the great merit of being an achievable solution to the present situation of abortion 01:1 demand." Since the Supreme Court's 1973 abortion decision the U.S. Bishops have endorsed a set of principles that should be ir..cluded in a human life amendment but have refrained from endorsing a particular version. Pro-life critics of Hatch's amendment say his proposal lacks one key principle: recognition of the personhood 0:: the fetus. But Archbishop Roach, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, asked that the bishops' position not be misinterpreted and said the bishops still are "committed to full legal
recognition of the right to life of the unborn child." He added, "We cannot in conscience tolerate the continued destruction of unborn human lives at the rate of one-and-a-half million a year on the hypothetical grounds that some dayanother, theoretically ideal constitutional solution might be found." Archbishop Roach's and CardinalCooke's testimony in a hot and crowded hearing room came as the Constitution subcommittee chaired by Hatch moved into its fifth day of hearings this fall on proposed amendments dealing with abortion. Most attention has focused on Hatch's amendment, which holds that abortion is not a right guaranteed by the Constitution and grants Congress and the states power to reenact abortion restrictions struck down by the Supreme Court. Critics of the amendment have complained that the bishops' support for it was a "sell-out" in order to gain support for their position on tuition tax credits or other legislative issues. But Archbshop Roach, asked Turn to Page Nine
Assistance urged for new pilgrims WASJUNGTON (NC) - Leaders of three religious org~miza足 tions have written President Reagan urging action to uphold the due process rights of refugees, a halt to deporting Salvadorans and an end to the Haitian interdiction policy. They also asked for attention to alleviating the causes which prompt people to flee their homelands. The letter was signed by Claire Randall, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; Bishop Thomas C. Kelly, general secretary of the U.S. Catholic Conference and Rabbi Bernard Mandel~ baum, general secretary of the Synagogue Council of America. They said the deportation of thousands of Salvadorans and the recently announced policy of interdicting small boats from Haiti violates the conscience of
the United States and the principles for which it stands. The message was called a "Pilgrim Day" letter because it alluded to the approaching Thanksgiving holiday Nov. 26 which brings to mind "the first pilgrims who sought safe haven on American shores some 361 years ago. "Since those early days, pilgrims from many places around the globe have been welcomed to these shores." But the administration's new policy of stopping boats and returning people to Haiti against their will, and the drowning of 33 Haitians off the Florida coast in October "has refocused our concern on the plight of certain groups today fleeing oppression in their homelands and seeking haven in this nation," they said. The leaders also said their Turn to Page Six
This little boy is among Third World children who will benefit from the annual Thanksgiving clothing collection.
Thanksgiving collection Fall River will join 93 other U.S. dioceses in collecting clothing and donations for food in the 31st annual Thanksgiving clothing collection, taking place in parishes next week. -Catholic Relief Services, the overseas aid agency of U. S. Catholics expects to collect millions of pounds of fabrics through parishes -lightweight clothing, blankets and bolts of cloth are highest priorities-to help clothe the needy around the world.
In addition, eRS is a partner in the Interfaith Hunger Appeal, a three-year-old joint project with the Protestant and Orthodox aid agency, Church World Service, and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, to raise funds through interfaith Thanksgiving services to fight hunger in the world. Since 1950 the annual CRS clothing collection has brought in more than 460 million pounds of clothing and blankets. Last
year Catholics donated more than $10.5 million, which was distributed to 32 countries in Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean region. Bishop -Edwin Broderick, CRS executive director, said that since most countries receiving aid have mild climates, light clothing is more needed than heavy clothing. Shoes, purses and belts are not needed. Turn to Page Six