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t eanc 0 VOL. 35, NO. 47
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Friday, November 29, 1991
F ALL RIVER, MASS.
·FALL RIVER DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER
FOR SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS CAPE COD & THE ISLANDS Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly
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Bishops pondering post-communist Europe VATICAN CITY (CNS) - The special Synod of Bishops on Europe, which began yesterday at the Vatican, will offer the church hierarchy two weeks for reflection and planning in the wake of communism's collapse. Unlike previous synods dealing with internal church matters, this one comes in direct response to the recent political metamorphosis of Eastern Europe. It is an unusual ·example of the Vatican moving quickly to take advantage of changes in the secular world. Pope John Paul II strongly believes that local churches in Europe's two halves have much to give each other - the West in organizational talents and ed ucation, the East in tenacity and strength of faith. He announced the synod in mid-1990, as soon as it became apparent that the continent was entering a post-communist era. The pope's vision of Europe is a mixed one. He sees a strong-Christian heritage that needs to be recovered, in the East and the West. He sees the continent moving toward greater political and economic cooperation an4 wants the church to be a dynamic force for unity, The present moment seems to offer that opportunity, but already new threats are forming: ethnic strife, vast internal migration, economic disparity and the spread of materialistic values. The synod's working document reflects that mix of optimism and realism. The assembly certainly will be a moral celebration of the fall of communism, but it will a·lso have to face the fact that on both sides of the former Iron Curtain, Christianity has been'pushed to the sidelines of people's daily lives, it said. The official theme of the synod is "Let Us Be Witnesses to Christ Who Has Set Us Free." Morethan 130 bishops, about one-third from Eastern Europe, will attend the special assembly, which ends Dec. 14. About half of the delegates are from Western Europe, with other continents only sparsely represented. Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, will represent U.S. bishops at the assembly.
Ready for an Ad.. vent of Uactive wait.. ing"? See pages 8 and 9 for a calendar of the First Week of Advent. We'll have a new one each week, including daily Mass readings.
The pope will be there primarily to listen. He also will preside over an eClJmenical prayer service Dec. 7. The pontiff wants the synod to help bridge the historic gap between Christian churches in Europe, and he has invited 15 Orthodox and Protestant churches to send representatives as "fraternal delegates" to the assembly. The synod will follow the usual pattern of individual speeches, group discussions and reports, and voting on final proposals. The pope is then invited to issue his own document on the topic at a later date. The synod's working document, summarizing reports from European delegations, outlined several areas of opportunity and challenge, including: - The demise of communism. This has given East European churches a new chance to rebuild and catch up to the West in areas of lay and clerical ed ucation, _pastoral programs and social services, but they are facing tremendous material difficulties. Avenues of Western aid will probably be explored at the synod; delegates include members of aid organizations which channel help to financially strapped Eastern churches. One factor that will quell triumphalism over communism's defeat is the recognition that five decades· of atheism have taken a toll on the spiritual healt·h of the people of the region. Another is the fact that serious social inequalities still exist on the continent; the pope has warned of the danger that Europe will remain a house divided into "haves" and "have-nots." - The "problem offreedom" in Europe. With the collapse of totalitarian states, will freedom be understood in a selfish way or as freedom to help others? The church proposes the latter, but not everyone is in a mood to hear its message. In fact, because the church insists on certain unchanging truths, it is sometimes considered "anti-democratic" in the new European context - for example, in its opposition to abortion, which is still widely practiced on both sides of the continent. -A "new evangelization" of Europe. The moment seems ripe for an infusion of Christian values into European societies, as an antidote to the "de-Christianized mentality" that has evolved in many places. In the East, the church's record of resistance under communism has earned it esteem and the opportunity to influence social decisions. But here, as·in the West, there appears to be a gap between the faith and pepple's daily lives. How to bridge that gap is expected to be a central question for the synod. . - Re-emerging nationalism. The Turn to Page 10
Bachrach photo
MSGR. DANIEL F. SHALLOO
Beloved pastor, Anchor founder dead at age 80 By Pat McGowan On June 17, 1987, after more than 20 years as pastor of Holy Name parish, Fall River, Msgr. Daniel F. Shalloo retired. Last Saturday he was back at the parish he served so faithfully, visiting its annual fall bazaar and chatting with longtime friends, many of whom remarked how well he seemed. At 6:30 Saturday evening he suffered a massive stroke a·nd was taken to St. Anne's Hospital, Fall River, where he died the following afternoon. News of the beloved pastor's death struck his native city like a bombshell. Ordained in 1937, he never served outside Fall River, going as a just-ordained 26-year-old curate to Immaculate Conception parish for five years and from there to St. Joseph's for 19 years, also as a curate. His first pastorate was at St. Louis Church, where he was assigned from 1961 to 1967. He was at Holy Name from April 12, 1967, until his retirement from active ministry. Msgr. Henry T. Munroe, diocesan vicar general, conducted a wake service for Msgr. Shalloo Tuesday night at Holy Name Church. His funeral took place Wednesday with Turn to Page 10
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