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ea VOL. 40, NO. 45
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Friday, November 22, 1996
FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSEnS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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Cardinal Bernardin remeInbered for his courage and caring WASHINGTON (CNS) -Fellow church leaders, co-' workers and President Clinton cited lifelong accomplishments and the dignified and courageous way
Conference of Catholic Bishops and U.S. Catholic Conference. Cardinal Bernardin, whose battle. with cancer had pre-
~hicago
CARDINAL JOSEPH L. BERNARD.N
Cardinal JoL. seph Bernardin faced his own death as they remembered the man many considered a good friend. "His acceptance of death not as an enemy but as a friend could only come from the deep faith of a person who knows that our destiny is not for this life only;" said a statement from Cleveland Bishop Anthony M. Pilla, president of the National
thedral of the Holy Name. Statements flowed in from around the world, praising Cardinal Bernardin's leadership as archbishop of Chicago and as president and general secretary of the bishops' conference. He was lauded for his role in guiding the church through turbulent times and for his personal example of faith and -..=-..=...... de d ica t ion that led him to continue working until just a few days before he died. In a telegram sent to the Chicago Archdiocese a few hours after the cardinal's death,
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vented him from joining Bishop Pilla and the other bishops in Washington for their annuatfall meeting, died Nov. 14 at his residence in Chicago. His funeral was held Nov. 20 at Chicago's Ca-
Thrn to page 13
Bishops conclude fall meeting WASHINGTON (CNS) When the U.S. bishops met in Washington Nov. 11-14 forthefall general meeting of the National Conference of Catllolic Bishops and U.S. Catholic Conference, they: - Discussed at length but did not vote on a series of proposals to restructure the USCC and NCCB and the committees of the twin conferences. - Mourned the death Nov. 14 of Chicago Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin, who chaired the ad hoc Committee on Mission and Structure, which made thl: restructuring proposals. - Approved on a voice vote the 76-page "Sons and Daughters of the Light: A Pastoral Plan for Ministry with Young Adults," designed to address spiritual and pastoral issues faced by young adults as they enter into new stages in education, work, independence and family relationships. - Gave their OK to the final two segments of the general Sacramentary as proposed for use
throughout the English-speaking world. The full Sacramentary, which the bishops have been working on for several years, must be approved by the Vatican. - Overwhelmingly approved norms for Catholic higher education, titled "'Ex Corde Ecclesiae': An Application to the United States." . - Approved a 10-point statement of economic principles that emphasizes making economic decisions based on moral principles that focus on protecting the poor and vulnerable. - Ratified by voice vote a set of guideli1'lesfor televised Masses, which favor the broadcast 'of live Masses over prerecorded ones. - Heard a report on efforts against assisted suicide and partialbirth abortions and authorized a statement by Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of Cleveland, NCCB-USCC president, affirming the bishops' solidarity with all who are threatened by assisted suicide. Approved by voice vote
guidelines that appear in Catholic missalettes for receiving Communion at Mass, in order to bring them into conformity with current canon law and ecumenical directives. - Expressed outrage, through a statement by Bishop Pilla, at the taping of a sacramental confession of a prisoner in Oregon. - Elected Bishop Robert J. Banks of Gn:en Bay, Wis., as the new NCCB-USCC treasurer and chose more than a dozen new committee heads, as well as delegates to the upcoming Synod of Bishops of the Americas. - Agreed to provide $1 million to fund their national Office for the Third Millennium from 1997 to 2000. - Ratified a $43.4 million 1997 budget, about $1.5 million above the 1996 NCCB-USCC budget, as well as priorities and plans for conference activities in 1997. - Approved propsed adaptations in funeral rites when cremated remains are present.
BISHOP SEAN O'Malley participates in last week's National Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting in Washington, D.C. Next to him is Bishop Elliott Thomas, his successor as bishop of the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Other photo page 13. (Kearns photo)