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Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte
Volume 2 Number 7
Hard.
Life Is
Pope
Praises
Columbus
•
October
1992
16,
Mass
In
At Controversial Lighthouse SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Re-
—
of the open
gelization in the Americas by praising Chris-
three days before the pope's arrival.
in the
history of humanity."
Columbus was a "great admiral" who wanted to spread Catholicism to the lands he reached, the pope said of the controverfigure
sial
1 1
The papal praise came during an Oct. outdoor Mass in Santo Domingo, the diocese in the Americas, to celebrate
first
During construction, however, the pope
message for the lighthouse which has been engraved on 14 stone plaques sent a lengthy
placed on one of
the Mass,
which took place at the foot of the
for the last in
a series on Guatemala.)
Photo by
CAROL HAZARD
Says Church Must Change Public Opinion About Abortion NEW YORK (CNS) — The Church's iublic
is
to change
Avery
)ulles in
a Fordham University lecture Oct.
cost in
and for precipitating the encounter of two worlds. The message urges the Latin American Church to be actively involved in social problems and
a getting all
tutlawed,
in
a discussion of "Reli-
and the Transformation of
lion
Politics,"
multimillion dollar
one of Latin America's poorest its
association with
Colum-
authority to teach
stir
and govern," he
own
that "we are gathered in front of this
Colum-
run against the consensus of the people
vill
but "can present tor,"
and moral
won by
"This culture war cannot be tactical battles
It
principles.
about particular issues
even important issues such as the
—
legaliza-
tion of divorce, abortion and euthanasia," he
"For the policy statements of the bish-
said.
If they do, j'Ublic
fruitful,
they must be backed up by a coher-
ent social and political philosophy."
Father Dulles recalled that the suit
he said, the Church "loses
in
respect more than it gains on particu-
late Je-
Father John Courtney Murray saw a
can republic, with
their recognition
shape of a
985 to honor Jesuit Father Laurence
said.
fall
of his responsibility as
J.
WcGinley, a former president of Fordham.
made a special dedication of the
p Father McGinley, ieriod afterward,
who
lecture
died Aug. 15.
and a question-answer
In the lecture
Father Dulles suggested
the U.S. bishops
had gone too
jlacing their religious authority
ijn
far in
behind spe-
its
sities for
and
philosophy."
Beyond
the educational task, Father
Dulles said, the Church needs to help
members develop
in the inauguration, said
Joaquin Navarro-
spokesman,
after the
Mass.
distancing itself
from the lighthouse since controversy de-
Mass
Latin
America" he added.
Moreno
Diaz, a Spanish missionary
who
was dehim as the
died at 58 in Colombia in 1906,
The pope cited "model of an evangelizer" who joined clared a saint.
continuous stream of missionaries
was chosen,
Europe World.
site
in
During the Mass, Bishop Ezequiel
not because of the lighthouse, but because
veloped, saying the
of the poverty of millions of hu-
beings
the
who left
to spread Catholicism in the
New
its
the personal qualities
must be built on virmercy and forgive"cannot be legislated by the gov-
Society, he said,
tues such as friendship,
ness that
ernment." They also require belief in a
prudential judgments,
transcendent moral order, he said, and the
own
ig
and
>ut
he said the distinction failed to
He
situation
contributing to a "coherent social
political
of Catholic teach-
fieir
The pope did not bless the lighthouse, nor was he "formally invited" to participate Valls, Vatican
he said. Developed countries must "face their moral responsibility before the dramatic
man
said.
unity,
But he said the Church had resources in of social teaching and its univer-
jveen general principles
Icross to
pope
economic
a valid interlocu-
tradition
edged that the bishops distinguished be-
i
the
itself as
required for responsible self-government.
positions in the political sphere.
Speaking particularly of the pastorals peace and the economy, he acknowl-
their
wrote that spreading
Catholicism was a goal of his explorations,
not qualified to offer
of a
older of a professorship established in
ific
who
to the
is
technical help in forging
transcendent order, and Catholic thinkers
Father Murray saw that this approach was under challenge, and the crisis has since become "even more acute," Father Dulles
jjcture that is part
fiat
great admiral"
homage
Latin American na-
operating from the tradition of natural law.
issues."
Father Dulles delivered the annual
le
"also wishes to pay
The Vatican has been
harmony between the founders ofthe Ameri-
ecclesiastical penalties."
;/ith
tf
truths
ops to be plausible and, in the long run,
Church is "a ressure group harassing office-holders and andidates for office and seeking to control leir political conduct by threatening them
The Church
contending for "a transcendent, God-given
He
jving the impression that the
among
cross, wishes to
its
promote
tions.
bus lighthouse, which with
symbolize the cross of
to
today,
expressed hope for greater ecounity
our day" was the conflict between a culture
generally be ineffective." also said the bishops should avoid
nomic
and work harder
rights
He
During the Mass homily, the pope said
and the would not enforce the law, or the orbidden practice would be simply driven lat
human
arrival.
said.
Father Dulles said the "major crisis of
ourts
"Laws
when abuses continue
opposition to themselves from within the
intervene in controversial
said.
inderground," Father Dulles said.
Criticizing past abuses against Indians
not enough
peace and justice
"When they
questions of a secular character they
permanent
probability the police
prob-
political
demonstrations that took place before his
whole body of bishops.
gressivist" culture that rejects the idea of
all
coming socio-economic and lems, the pope said.
up
such as pastorals that carry the authority of the
order of justice and morality" and a "pro-
"In
aspects of your life," ranging from improving personal morality to overfertilize all
he said. "You must feel the poverty in others as your own and be convinced that the poor can no longer wait," he added. The pope told governments to defend
pinion were changed dramatically.
could be hollow unless public
plete.
About 50,000 squatters were evicted from their homes to make way for the 10story monument. At the end of the Mass the pope prayed for two people killed during anti-lighthouse
Christ planted in this land in 1492," the pope
heir victory
who have no
the advocate of the poor."
In the Mass homily, the pope said the work of evangelization is far from com-
who symbolizes to some the abuses of
bus,
oppose violence.
is
abortion in the entire nation
he said
its
Be
voice....
to
the voice of those
"Let the seed planted five centuries ago
lighthouse has been the scene of
countries and
Church, and thereby undermine their
Even ifpro-life organizations succeeded
The
plaque
Spanish colonialism.
opinion, not to get a law prohibiting
bortion passed, said Jesuit Father
memorial housing the
final
The papal message praises Columbus sow the seeds of evangelization
reputed bones of Columbus.
protests because of
Priest
irimary task regarding abortion
built cross-shaped
The
for helping
"Be
controversial Columbus lighthouse, a newly
sides.
arms.
the 500th anniversary.
Fewer than 100,000 people attended
its
contains the pope's signature and his coat of
whose voyages to the New World
opened the way for the Spanish colonization and evangelization of the Americas.
site for
the expected crowd.
The lighthouse was inaugurated Oct. 6,
topher Columbus and calling Oct. 12, 1492,
I
surrounding a good
accommodating
"one of the most important dates
\ farmer walks along a residential road in rural Guatemala with his harvest for the day. (See Page
field
(CNS) Pope John Paul U commemorated the 500th anniversary of evanpublic
much of the
argued
it
come
public.
would be better to omit from documents
prudential judgments
exclusion of religion
makes
it
difficult for
public schools to "transmit the values and
See Dulles, Page 13
The controversial Columbus Lighthouse in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where Pope John Paul II celebrated a Mass during his visit this week. The seven-story structure was designed as a mausoleum for the remains of Christopher Columbus. (CNS photo by Father Jack Winter, St. Anthony Messenger)