Nov. 20, 1992

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Volume 2 Number 12

nattered Peace...

Universal Catechism Drafters

For

VATICAN CITY lication

new

(CNS)

of the document will stimulate a

unity

among Catholics and

spark non-

These were among the Vatican's

rea-

and injured 12 on Nov.

tacular

examples of Muslim

atholic

16. In the

it was document ap-

because

first

It

But the decision to publish the French Nov. 16 left the vast majority of the

for

whom the catechism

moment

"Catholic educa-

of the greatest suc-

of

this country,"

'isms'

more than 700

teach-

erence.

Catholics represent the largest religious

United States (Protestants have

two groups), the most highly group in the country and the

ble to

per capita, she said.

"We should

from the Education artment in Washington showthatCathochools are surpassing public schools, said.

majority of middle

lions in

While

that's great

news, even more

ahead for

educators as the Church enters the

new

irch

...

We're

at the

dawning of the

And

in the 21st century."

sage of Christ

— which —

the

has been around

has never been more

3,000 years

ntly needed, Sister Claire said.

"This generation of Catholics (schoolchildren) Irf

is

gambling with the

the message

itself."

And

credibil-

that

which they live, Sister Claire said. "We have got to confront the reality of our time. We are always summoned by the

Every generation has a place

in history

one "got caught of wax," said Sister

unfortunately, this

[re.

The Vatican

in

all

Publication

also

wanted to avoid

whole

ball

this

catechism said.

"A

nal,"

he

is

different cultures

fur-

summary of

does not mean

that the

new

changing Church teachings, he

catechism never

be

tries to

origi-

said.

"Presenting

new

ideas

the privilege

is

of theologians," said Cardinal Ratzinger. Strengthening Catholic unity is important

today

when a crisis of faith seems to be

spreading over

many

traditionally Catholic

Problems such as the

countries, he said.

vocations crisis cannot be solved by "prag-

matic measures" such as allowing married priests but by ovc. C o ng this crisis of faith,

m

he

i

said.

The catechism

means "a chance to reach a

Ratzinger, head of the

12-member papally

appointed commission preparing the catis

also head of

Church con-

repeats

demnations of abortion, euthanasia, cial birth control,

heaven and

homosexual

artifi-

acts,

pornog-

"We

wanted

to present a unified

organic vision of the faith," he

The cardinal gave a series of interviews

world and

to coincide with the publication of the

See Schools, Page 2

French edition

in

ings to

new

reiterates

Church

last

judgment.

new forms of medical

experi-

mentation, such as the producing of human

It

for experimentation.

also outlines

Church teachings on

issues that have developed a

because of Vatican

II,

new impetus

such as Christian

unity and interreligious dialogue.

Also incorporated

France, Belgium and

modem

Switzerland.

and the

situations such as genetic engi-

neering and

and

said.

hell,

It

Innovations occur in applying teach-

embryos

the doctrinal congregation.

shaping the world and the Church into the

Church we cannot even dream about."

made uniform by

which

raphy and adultery.

an active role

into a different

in

can easily come into contact with each other, he said. This "makes necessary a

translations.

echism. Cardinal Ratzinger

that children will play

changed and today the

a world

teachings on original sin, the existence of

And

teachers must educate "in such

...

technology" and

new unity in the faith," said Cardinal Joseph said.

lives "in

sexual matters.

God

they won't be easy.

21st century

Situations have

Church

those surfacing in Italy and focusing on

tasks for teachers in this special

time in history are numerous, she

way

being studied by the Vatican

ther partial leaks prior to publication such as

has called us to do."

First,

still

which must approve

in

events of our time to perform the tasks

was

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith,

kindest,

educators, unless they understand the times

said Cardinal Ratzinger.

in the

catechism are

church social teachings that touch

on contemporary issues such as immigraand refugee problems, genocidal war policies and unemployment. "The social dimension of sin is very

O'Connor, chairman of the

Post-election statement

by Cardinal John

Committee or Pro-Life

Activities of the National

J.

Conerence of Catholic

important," but the catechism also stresses

Bishops.

Now

"personal responsibilities" for sins, said

is

more upon President-elect Clinton and Vice President Gore to

the time for the pro-life

forcefully than ever.

We call

movement

to

make our

voices heard

same compassion toward the unborn that they pleaded for during the campaign on behalf of the unemployed and other disenfranchised. This can be a critical point in our nation's history. The pro-life movement must exercise the

Bishop David Konstant of Leeds, England, one of the main writers of the catechism.

On

controversial sexual matters such

aim was to explain Church teachings "with clarity and charas birth control, the

See Catechism, Page 3

demand of all elected officials and those who will campaign for office in the future that they recognize the grave moral obligation to do everything within their power both to Israel Series

stop the slaughter of the innocents, and to stop mouthing platitudes asserting that

is,

|ed, very tough stuff, she said.

the

text

The

The 1566 catechism "created a language of the faith for a determined period,"

tion

"We are on the threshold of something id

today.

U.S. companies.

Christian millennium, Sister Claire

1

is

major languages such as English and

uni-

ings.

But

microcosm of the economic, social, and ecological state of the country

management

ortant are the tasks that lie lolic

in

new

Second Vatican Council. A primary purpose was to incorporate Vatican II teach-

reformulation of the organic

These made publication

writ-

assess the impact of the teachings of the

the faith," he added.

texts.

said.

was

the Protestant

publication until translations were available

1

And Catholic school graduates are

ig the

several

German impossible as Dec. 9 approached. The French catechism is 58 pages, not

most learned and pedagogically correct teachers won't make good

a

All the reports

it

combat

hierarchies asking the Vatican to hold off

counting footnotes. At the time the French text was made public, Vatican officials said tne English

The

make an impact on the moral fiber

nation."

lis

the

and

political

split into

lthiest

all

As teachers walk into a classroom, they

as

n the opening speech at the Nov. 12-13

as well as broken families

universal catechism

from the 1985 extraordinary Synod of Bishops that met to

in several languages.

single parents."

enter a

and 1992 Catholic Schools Service

ird recipient told

first

'Catholic educators, hold your hats!"

\

consumerism, racism, sexism

Sister Claire Fitzgerald said at

Joston College professor, national award

:ated

JOANN KEANE

ent-language

and Raleigh dioceses.

in the

Photo by

Conference

wide assembly of teachers from the

i

more than 400 years. The U.S. bishops were among

ings in

Dome of the Rock, one of the most

Associate Editor

Catholic Schools Conference, the

l

one

on Catholic teach-

CAROL HAZARD

story in the history

ler

killed

universal catechism

Another major reason for allowing French publication is the drawn out process for translating the voluminous catechism and getting Vatican approval for the differ-

are at the

rlotte

the

last

Reformation. The idea to write a

first

Schools 'Great Success,'

GREENSBORO t Dame

is

architecture.

clucators Told At By

foreground

The

versal catechism sprang

was primarily designed out in the cold. They were without a copy on publication day to help them field questions about the stinian

could interest

it

and non-Catholics, he

guages Dec.

world's bishops

Old City of Jerusalem where a grenade

local catechisms, the drafters

to be easily readable so that

for simultaneous publication in several lan9.

is

them write also wanted it

ten in 1566 to help

plans called

Initial

it

primarily for bishops to help

languages wereTeady.

proved by Pope John Paul II June 25. avoided a lengthy translation process.

in the

modem times, he said. Although

able to

lay people

French was ready

Muslim Quarter

rize Catholic faith

sons for allowing the French version to be published well before translations into other

the original language of the

the

Hope

The aim of the catechism is to summaand make it understand-

Drafters

Catholics to think about Church teachings.

text

20, 1992

New Unity Among Catholics

of the universal catechism are hoping pub-

sw overlooking

November

"We live in a culture of materialism,

anyone

can morally exercise the "choice" to

kill

an unborn baby.

We call for unity throughout the pro-life movement and for the unceasing prayer and penance

in

to rid ourselves

conjunction with our pro-life efforts to restore sanity to this land and

of the frightening contempt for the

"choice" or "privacy," or any other

human person that masquerades as

political slogan.

Associate Editor Joann Keane's series on her recent

week.

trip to Israel will

resume next


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