Sept. 16, 1994

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News & Herald Volume 4 Number 3 • September

Serving Catholics in Western North Carolina in the Diocese of Charlotte

16,

1994

Pope Preaches

SCWOOl. VI5IT

Bold Steps For Peace In Balkans ZAGREB,

Croatia

(CNS)

— Pope

John Paul II walked with a limp during his Balkan visit, but he talked about bold strides for peace as he preached in the former Yugoslavia. During a Sept. 101 1 trip to Zagreb, the pope advocated forgiveness and tolerance among the region's warring ethnic factions. The pope said he came as "the pilgrim of reconciliation" to emphasize the common ties of language and Slavic origins that should unite Serbian Orthodox, Croatian Catholics and Bosnian Muslims. It

was the pope's

first trip to

the ex-

Yugoslavia, and he told Croatian Catholics to

take the lead in peace efforts.

The visit lasted slightly more than 24 hours, and the 74-year-old pope showed fatigue throughout, a sign that he has not fully recuperated after a fall last April

resulted in reconstructive surgery to repair a broken right thigh bone.

While his voice was firm, his steps were small and shuffling. The pope continued walking with the limp and black

kn cane thalhavc become common his public appearances. His traditional kneeling on the airport tarmac to kiss the

ground upon arrival was replaced by two young people holding up a bowl of

pope to kiss. was the pope's first trip outside Italy in a year and a much shorter version of what the pope wanted. He had hoped to make a sym-

Croatian

BishoD Willidm

G

McGuinness High School in Winston-Salem. Curlin is flanked by students during a recent visit to Bishop Photo by JOANN KEANE

soil for the

The overnight

bolically unifying trip to Croatia, BosniaHerzegovina and Serbia. Security risks

Family Ties

Russian Orphans Find Homes, Families

made the pope give up his Sept.

The smiling girl wearing a hand-medown denim jumper hopes that the glimmer in her eyes will capture someone's This

is

no ordinary photo.

It's

an

invitation.

On

Sept. 23,

Marina celebrates her

seventh birthday. If she's lucky, she'll get a dress, something she adores. If she

blows out candles and makes a wish, it is likely she will wish for a family. However, like all of her previous birthdays, Marina's day to shine will merely mark another year of living in the only home she' s ever known, the orphan-

The pope showed frustration that the

in

Moscow have

ethnic and religious hatreds sparking the

coming home;

to the

United

this diocese,

North Carolina and in love with the families of their dreams. Eight months ago, The Catholic News & Herald reported the story of Devon, a Russian wisp of a boy, adopted

sian children

several families are in the early stages of

preparing for a homecoming. Like 7-year-old Marina, the children available for adoption are generally be-

the stories all too well. less families

knows

"There are count-

who'd love to adopt," says

Thurbee. Equally, there are as

many

Without a

ance,

war "smolders under the ashes of

fragile treaties,"

he

said.

See Balkans, Page 13

night dreaming of a family and a life

tor of Catholic Social Services,

the existing tensions."

spirit of reciprocal forgiveness and toler-

ter in

across the former Soviet Block nod off at

surrounded by love. Elizabeth Thurbee, diocesan direc-

come

viduals to the Catholic Conference Cen-

have come to call Stephen and Paul Two more will home. Carolina North arrive within the next few months, and

her dream.

"To stop the bloody fratricidal war I every means, I have knocked at every door," he added. "The Holy See is continuing to adopt every means to over-

tried

Thurbee' s phone went berserk.

She's not alone in her twilight thoughts. Literally hundreds of orphans

is

I

plary collaboration," he said.

Families desperate to, adopt wanted to know more about the program. An information sharing session brought 40 indi-

"the martyred city that

tomed to reciprocal tolerance and exem-

'

lication,

is

has been raging in a land where the inhabitants for centuries were accus-

with the assistance of Catholic Social Services. Within days of the story s pub-

come for her. That

adoptive family will

Sarajevo

ardently wanted to visit," he said in his airport arrival speech. "For too long war

joined

Nicholas, Danielle,

Petersburg, Russia. All her

peace.

States, to

she's been told that someday, an

St.

conflict in the former Yugoslavia obstructed his desire to be a catalyst for

bridged an international gap, matching Russian children with American families. Thanks to this program, children are

Hickory to learn more. In the months since then, four Rus-

age in life,

and Child's Rights

Belgrade, the Serbian

CSS

Collaborative efforts between

Marina' s eyes are deep blue, her hair the color of wheat, and she flashes an impish grin for the camera.

visit to

capital.

Russian orphans hoping for a family.

Associate Editor

8 trip to

the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, and Serbian Orthodox Church objections

blocked a

By JOANN KEANE

heart.

visit

tween the ages of 5 and 8 and have lived most or all of their lives in orphanages. See Marina, Page 2

Catechetical

Sunday

Sunday, Sept. 18, is Catechetical Sunday. On Pages 2, 3 and 6 of this issue of The Catholic News & Herald are several articles on the subject.

pay Marina

is

one

available for

of

many Russian children

adoption by Americans.

tribute to the dedicated

They

men and

women who conduct the programs our parishes.

in


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