----4......[.....
~-
-,,/ -.
theanc VOL. 49, NO. 10 • Friday, March 11,2005
--~~--tII------.----:~_=._=...:.........-
:J
FALL RI~£Rd:JlID.lCmAlA...i:t9JtWCI"A'jl1I.!!R=
~r=:::::='~9Ff-,)FjR:s06TIf1~MASSACBtJr;EiFFli-_ f'Afl[.f''()u»& 1ilHIE W;hANU)B,
FALL RIVER, MASS.
Southeastern Massachusetts' Largest Weekly • $14 Per Year
The Massachusetts bishops' statement on human cloning; research on human embryos The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is in the midst of a debate about human cloning and embryo research. As the Roman Catholic Bishops of this state we affirm that a deeply rooted respect for human life should always guide our public policy. We should not stray, even for the most noble of reasons, from the commitment to protect every human being. If the means are wrong, then the ends cannot justify them. Human life is sacred; presuming this truth at every level of our society is a basic moral obligation. We calIon our policymakers to affirm the dignity of human life by banning human cloning in all its forms. Cloning involves the laboratory creation of an individual's identical twin at the embryo stage through means other than the natural union of a mother's egg and a father's sperm. Some scientists are working towards the day they can clone to bring new life to full maturity. Others are already cloning new human life only for destruction, harvesting embryonic stem cel1s through methods that kill the cloned embryo. The cloning pro-
cess itself denies a cloned child the right to come into existence with and through a mother and a father, and distorts biological and familial relationships. Creating life only to destroy it adds to the offense against human dignity. The Catholic Church opposes human cloning for any purpose. Some argue that human embryos created by the joining of sperm and egg through in-vitro fertilization, and abandoned in frozen storage at IVF clinics, should be donated to science. We disagree. The intrinsic worth of human life is not affected by whether one is wanted or abandoned. We urge that our laws be strengthened to clearly prohibit the killing for research purposes of any human embryos, however created. We oppose any bill that endorses or funds such unethical experiments on human life. Our Commonwealth should join the United Nations which gave initial approval this February to a declaration condemning all human cloning and embryonic research as "incompatible with Tum to page 11 - Statement
DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER STATION C.HURCHES
MAR.
11 - MAR. 18, 2005
Eucharistic exposition will take place following the morning Mass until 1/2 hour prior to the evening Mass unless otherwise noted.
Fri., Mar. 11 St. Patrick, Falmouth , - 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Masses Sat., Mar. 12 Corpus Christi, East Sandwich - 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Masses Mon., Mar. 14 SS. Peter & Paul, Fall River - 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Masses Tues., Mar. 15 Annunciation of the Lord, Taunton - 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Masses Wed., Mar. 16 Immaculate Conception, N. Easton ; - 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Masses
i Thurs., Mar. 17 St. Joseph, New Bedford ; - 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Masses ~ Fri., Mar. 18 Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fall River
- 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Masses
PARISH CENTER and dormitory for young women in Guaimaca, Honduras is blessed by Fall River Bishop George W. Coleman, center, during a recent visit. At right of bishop is Father Paul Canuel, pastor of the two Fall River mission parishes there; Dominican Sister Maria Ceballos, and far right, Father Craig R. Pregana, parochial vicar at the parishes. The new complex was named for Blessed Marie Poussepin, foundress of the Dominican Sisters who direct St. Anne's Hospital in Fall River. (Photo courtesy of Father Canuel)
Bishop Coleman's Guaimaca visit found him busy in parish ministry By
DEACON JAMES
N.
DUNBAR
FALL RIVER - Home following a five-day trip to the Fall River diocese's two mission parishes in the Guaimaca region of Honduras, last month, Bishop George W. Coleman said he was "impressed and inspired" by the Catholics he met as well as the ministry and work of the clergy and religious ministering there. "The people have a very strong faith," the bishop stated. "Every-
where I went people expressed their gratitude for the pastoral work done by the priests and the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation. And I was told that a young man from the parish in Guaimaca had entered the seminary in Tegucigalpa to study for the priesthood. I was pleased to hear that a vocation has come from the parish." While there, Bishop Coleman stayed at Casa Cum/, which is the
rectory, with Father Paul Canuel, pastor of both St. Rose of Lima Parish in Guaimaca and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Orica, and Father Craig R. Pregana, the parochial vicar. The bishop celebrated Mass at both parishes. Commenting on Bishop Coleman's second visit to the mission churches in Central America, a commitment begun in 2000 by Tum to page 16 - Bishop
Pope says he hopes Catholics grow in love for Blessed Sacrament VATICAN CITY (CNS) - In a message signed at Rome's Gemelli hospital, Pope John Paul II said he hoped the Year of the Eucharist and recent Vatican documents about the Mass would help Catholics grow in their love for the Blessed Sacrament. The pope sent his message to members of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments meeting March 1-4 at the Vatican. Recent Vatican documents, he said in the message, were designed to ensure that Masses were celebrated in accordance with Church norms, "and especially with an authentic interior participation" on the part of the faithful. Members of the congregation were scheduled
to listen to presentations and discuss the "art of celebrating" the liturgy; the homily; liturgical formation and spirituality; and the importance ofhaving Vatican approval for liturgical texts. Pope John Paul asked congregation members to keep in mind that in the liturgy it is Christ who is acting. "Especially in the eucharistic celebration, the living representation of the paschal mystery, Christ is present and his action is participated in and shared in ways adapted to our humanity, which needs words, signs and rites," the pope wrote. ''The efficacy of the action is the fruit of the Tum to page J3 - Sacrament
2
Friday, March 11, 2005
Mrs. Ann Marie Jones Besides her husband and priest TAUNTON - Mrs. Ann Marie (Rose) Jones, 70, the wife son, she leaves three daughters, Father Roland B. Boule of Gilbert Jones and mother of Diane Gallagher of Pawtucket, was thenassigned to the headquarFALL RIVER - Father Roland MissiOns of Quebec Seminary. Father James M. Fitzpatrick, pas- . R.I., Jo-Ann Rodrigues of ProviOrdained a priest on June 24, ters ofthe ForeignMissions ofQueB. Boule, 94, a retired missionary and tor of St. Mary's Parish in North dence, R.I., and Susan Fitzpatrick 1934 at St. James Cathedral in Mon. bec until June 1950. priest who had been a prisoner.ofwar Attleboro, died suddenly Febru- of Taunton; two sisters, Marion Father Boule then served in the Brown of Middleboro and Ellen .and who served as a pastor in the Fall treal, he served as a missionary in ary 26, in Morton Hospital. Born in Taunton, the daughter McCarthy of Marietta, Calif.; a Riverdiocese, died February 28 in the the Vicariate of Szepingkai, Man- Fall River diocese, as an assistant at churia for nine years. From 1941 to Notre Dame Parish in Fall River until of the late George and the late brother, George Rose of Catholic Memorial Home. Born in Fall River, the son of the 1943 h~ was kept as a prisoner of 1955, when he was transferred in the Josephine (Woodward) Rose, she Brockton; aI).d five grandchildren. same capacity to Blessed Sacrament Her funeral Mass was cel- late Honore and the late Anna was a 1952 graduate of Taunton Parish, also in Fall River. (Rivard) Boule, he attended Sacred High School. Before retiring, she ebrated March 3 in St. Joseph's In 1966 he was named adminisHeart School in New Bedford and was a Home Health Aide for Church in Taunton. Burial was in trator of St. Hyacinth Parish in New St. Anne's School in Fall River. He Rompson. She was also employed St. Francis Cemetery, Taunton. Bedford, and in 1970 was appointed The O'Keefe-Wade Funeral studied at the College de Montreal as an office worker for Copper pastor of St. Anne's Parish in New in Canada and received a bachelor Craft, Mammoth Mart and Home, 70 Washington Street, Bedford. Bradlees, all of Taunton; and Taunton, was in charge of ar- of arts degree from the Universite He retired from active ministry de Montreal. He prepared for the rangements. John's Pizza in Whittenton. in June 1980, and at that time took priesthood at the Seminary of Phiup residence in Somerset. losophy in Montreal and Foreign Father Boule leaves a sister, SERVICE... By caring family and service-family professionals Lucille B. Plant of Fall River; 15 Daily Readings nieces and nephews; and grandTRUST. ..In the people you know nieces and grandnephews. He was March 14 On 13:1-9,15also the brother of the late Norman 17,19-30,33-62 or CHOICE... Custom-designed, personalized tributes H. Boule, Raymond W. Boule, and 13:41 c-62; Ps Jeanette Seguin. 23:1-6; In 8:1-11 FATHER ROLAND B. BOULE AFFORDABILITY. .. Dignified services at affordable cost His funeral Mass was celebrated March 15 Nm 21 :4-9; Ps war. He returned to Canada to serve March 4 in Notre Dame Church, Fall 102:2-3,16-21; In 508-676-1933 8:2-1-30 as treasurer of the Foreign Missions River. Interment was in Notre Dame 508-999-5100 March 16 On 3:14-20,91Seminary in Pont-Viau, Quebec. Cemetery. JBI'RBY IL SIlUJVAH • AIHJ'ON. CIOUGHUN. DJlJSClOU. . www.waring·sullivan.com. 92,95; (Ps) On Following World War n, he beThe Boule Funeral Home, 615 ASERVICE FAMILY AFFILIATE OF AFFS & SERVICE CORP. Il\'TL.192 ROCK STREET. FALL RIVER. MA omo ;OS·676·24~ 3:52-56; In 8:31came a missionary to Asia, serving Broadway, Fall River, was in charge 42 in Japan until December 1949. He of arrangements.
ffiRE
THE>UGHTo
FUNERAL PLANNING
9fta~ it
easierfor tlioseyou
row
March 17 Gn 17:3-9; Ps 105:4-9; In 8:5159 March 18 Jer 20: 10-13; Ps 18:2-7; In 10:3142 March 19 2 8m 7:4-5a,1214a,16; Ps 89:25,27,29; Rom 4:13,16-18,22; Mt 1:16,18-21 ,24a or Lk2:41-51a March20 Mt21:1-11 (pro cession); Is 50:4- . 7; Ps 22:8-9,1718,19-20,23-24; Phil 2:6-11; Mt 26: 14-27:66 or 27:11-54
" 11111111111111111111111111111
THE ANCHOR (USPS-545-Q20) Periodical Postage Paid at Fall River, Mass. Published weekly except for two weeks in July and the week after Christmas at 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, Mass. 02720 by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River. Subscription price by mail, postpaid $14.00 per year. POSTMASTERS send address changes to The Anchor. P.O. Box 7, Fall River, MA 02722.
"This award is reflective of the many wonderful people
Sister Frances Farrell SUSC FALL RIVER - Holy Union Sister Frances Farrell, 84, formerly known as Sister Ann Joachim, died February 26 at the Catholic Memorial Home. Born in Amesbury, the youngest of eight children of the late John 1., and the late Rose G. (Murray) Farrell, she graduated from Amesbury High School and Salem Teacher's College where she received a bachelor ofscience degree in education. She entered the Holy Union Novitiate in Fall River on Aug. IS, 1945; made her first profession of vows in 1947 and her perpetual profession on Aug. 15, 1953. Following the novitiate she pursued graduate degrees at Bridgewater College, Boston College, and The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She earned a master's degree in education as well as a CAGS from Boston College. Sister Frances taught classes on all levels from primary grades to college, including Sacred Hearts Academy and its high school, St. Michael's and Sacred Heart schools and the College ofthe Sacred H~arts,
all in Fall River; at St. Mary's elementary and high school in Taunton; as well as schools in New Hampshire and New York. She was the community supervisor for the Holy Union Sisters ofher Province, was administrative assistant in the Community Life Center Residence in New York; and was a staff person at the Social Justice Center in Boston. Later, Sister Frances turned to tutoring and teaching English As A Second Language to Asian communities in Lawrence, and Providence, R.I., where she was an English tutor at the Hmong Project Resettle at St. Michael's Parish. She is survived by nieces and nephews; grandnieces and grandnephews; and her Holy Union Sisters. She was predeceased by all of her siblings, Margaret Umiah, Eleanor Hall, Kathleen Lucas, and Rita, John, James and Richard Farrell. Her funeral Mass was celebrated March 3 in the Chapel at the Catholic Memorial Home in Fall River. Interment was in St. Joseph~s Cemetery, Amesbury.
who work in and. around all of the Hathaway Family Funeral Homes. We are very proud to have been honored by the National Funeral Directors Association with such a prestigious national award." Bill Hathaway III
In Your Prayers Please praYJ:or the following priests during\~ming weeks . 1957, Rev. Attleboro
Fall River • Somerset • Tawlton New Bedford • Fairhaven • Attleboro 'fheSouth Coast's Leading Family-Owned Fun",.l Homes
www.hathawayfunerals.com , HATHAWAY FAMILVPtJNERAL HOMES, ltip R.obl'5<m Street. FaD Rixcr. MA S(Ig,.67;QJ781
M;rCh-T~
Fra~lone'y.\s.T.L., .
~\ '
Pastor, St. Mary, North
March 18 1989, Rev. Robert D. Forand, c.p\ West Hartford, Conn. •
1~\
. March . 1905, Rev. John 1. McQuaide, Assistant, St. Mary, Taunton
D
March20 1951, Rev. Francis A. Mrozinski, Pastor, St. Hedwig, Ne~ !3edford
Friday, March 11, 2005 .
the
aneholY
Priest from Providence, R.I. diocese named coadjutor bishop in Vermont WASHINGTON (CNS) - A priest of the Diocese of Providenc,e, R.I., currently on the staff of the Vatican Embassy in Washington has been named coadjutor bishop of Burlington, Vt., by Pope John Paul 11. . The priest, Msgr. Salvatore R. Matano, will become head of the Burlington diocese upon the death or retirement of the current head of the diocese, Bishop Kenneth A. Angell,74. Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, apostolic nuncio to the United States, announced the appointment in Washington March 3. Bishop-designate Matano's episcopal ordination was set for April 18. At a press conference in Burlington, Bishop Angell intro-
duced Bishop-designate Matano as "a wonderful man I've known now for many years" and said he was "a joy to be with, ajoy to work with, a very priestly man." Bishop Robert E. Mulvee of Providence said in a statement that the new bishop '~has demonstrated his dedication to the Church through his distinguished priestly service both in parish ministry and administration in the Diocese ofProvidence, as well as through his recent years of service to the apostolic nuncio." "Given his vast experience, there is no doubt that he will be a great help to Bishop Angell," he added. Bishop-designate Matano, born Sept. 15, 1946, in Providence, earned a bachelor's degree from Our Lady of Providence Seminary College in·
Warwick and a licentiate in theology and doctorate in canon law from Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained a priest of the Providence diocese on Dec. 17, 1971, by Bishop (later Cardinal) James A. Hickey, then rector of the North American College, the U.S. seminary in Rome. Cardinal Hickey died last October. In Providence, Bishop-designate Matano's assignments included assistant pastor at Our Lady ofGrace Parish in Johnston; faculty member of Our Lady of Providence Seminary High School; diocesan director of the Priests' Personnel Office; and assistant chancellor, vice chancellor, vicar for administration and co-chancellor. From 1991 to 1992, he served in
Intercommunion with other Christians would end ecumenism, priest says By TRACY EARLY CATHOUC NEWS SERVICE
YONKERS, N.Y. - Allowing eucharistic intercommunion with non-Catholic Christians would not advance ecumenism but bring it to an end, Father Richard John Neuhaus said in a recent lecture. "A sure way not to reach a destination is to pretend you've already arrived," he said. Father Neuhaus said pretending , the "real but imperfect communion" . that other Christians now have with the Catholic Church constituted the full bond of unity that is required for inviting them to share in the Eucharist would be "an act of duplicity." The result would likely be acomplacency about remaining in separated churches rather than renewed efforts to move toward full unity, he said. Father Neuhaus, who heads a New York think tank called the Institute on Religion and Public Life and edits its First Things monthly journal, spoke at the New York archdiocesan seminary, St. Joseph's, in Yonkers on 'The Eucharist and Christian Unity." Introducing Father Neuhaus, Msgr. PeterJ. Finn, seminary rector, called him "one of the foremost authorities on the role ofreligion in the contemporary world." His talk followed an address by Cardinal Avery Dulles, a theologian at Fordham University, and preceded one by Franciscan Father Benedict 1. Groeschel, a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal and a popular writer and retreat leader. Father Neuhaus and the other two men, all visiting professors at the seminary, led a Lenten series on the Church's Year of the Eucharist. Last June, Pope John Pau~ 11 declared that a year of special emphasis on the Eucharist would be held from October 2004 to October of this year. It began with the 48th International Eucharistic Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, and will end with the Synod of Bish-
ops at the Vatican. In 2003, the pope issued an encyclical, "Ecclesia de Eucharistia," on the Eucharist in its relationship to the Church, and Father Neuhaus made his lecture largely an exposition of points emphasized in that document. Noting the exception that the Orthodox churches were recognized as "sister churches" because of their agreement with the Catholic understanding of faith and ministry, Father Neuhaus said Christians ofother churches could not be invited to share in the Eucharist because they do not share the Catholic understanding of the Church, or ecclesiology. Catholic ecclesiology "claims to be the Church of Jesus Christ most fully and rightly ordered through time," he said. Referring to the Nicene Creed, he noted that apostolicity was a mark of the Church, and said this meant validly ordained bishops and priests. lntercommunion without a shared ecclesiology would be the enemy of authentic unity, he said. Rejecting "unity at the price of duplicity," Father Neuhaus said the Catholic Church was bound by its understanding of the truth. He said that "truth obliges," and while it could unite it could also divide. If Catholics received Communion at a non-Catholic altar, they would "fail in our duty to bear witness to the truth," he said. Many Christians, he commented, approached the question of intercommunion in the spirit of Rodney King, a Los Angeles black man whose beating by police was videotaped and made headlines around the world. King, the priest said, had asked: "Can't we all just get along?" These Christians are ''weary of the differences that divide," Father Neuhaus said, and they ask: "Can't we all just get along at the altar?" But he said that "the differences make a difference," and the desire
Washington at the Vatican Embassy, or apostolic nunciature, and returned to the Providence diocese to become vicar general and moderator of the Curia in 1992. Bishop-designate Matano served as a lecturer for graduate and undergraduate students at Providence Col-
lege and was named pastor of 51. Sebastian Parish in Providence in 1997, serving there until resuming his post at the nunciature in Washington in 2000. Bishop Angell, also a native of Providence, has headed the Burlington diocese since 1992.
Will IRS Tax Your IRA Twice? Did you know that IRAs are one of the few investments that can be double-taxed? Or that leaving your IRA to your estate can lose your family years of tax savings? FREE BOOKLET
"Avoid IRA Distribution Mistakes" Is available to retirees who must withdraw money from their IRA. This booklet will help cut taxes an~ protect your IRA value.
Call 877-796-9698 for a Free Booklet JIM
CAVIEZEL
THE
SIGN
ECUT
!
for Christian unity "does not permit duplicity." A former Lutheran pastor who entered the Catholic Church in 1990 and was ordained the following year, Father Neuhaus said the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod to which he belonged also practiced "closed Communion" and insisted that sharing COmInunion required "complete doctrinal agreement." These Lutherans showed that they cared about doctrine and about truth, he said. But he remarked that many people found their claim that the "true visible church on earth" was established in St. Louis in 1847 "counterintuitive." The Missouri Synod was founded in that city in ' that year.
The Right Rate At The Right Time. The road to retirement starts at Citizens~Union Savings Bank
325 •
% APY-
1Year ~~~cYa9
Whether you are making a contribution for 2004 or 2005, it's the right time to take advantage of a great IRA CD rate. Citizens-Union Savings Bank offers a variety of retirement options, including regular and Roth IRAs. The deadline for 2004 contributions is April 15 th • Stop by one of our eight convenient locations today.
ClTIZEN&UNION ___
SAVINGS BANK
Feel the freedom Member FDIC Member DlF
FALL RIVER - SOMERSET - SWANSEA - SEEKONK - Now Open: NEW BEDFORD 508-678-7641 (Connecting all offices) • www.citizensunionbank.com
'Minimum opening deposit is $500. Minimum balance to obtain the Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is $10. APY is accurate as of March i, 2005 and is subject to c.hange. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawals. IRA accounts only. Ask us about other available CD rates and lerms. TIlis offer may be withdrawn at any time.
Friday. March 11,2005
themoorin~
the living word
PBS? The noted syndicated columnist George Will recently wrote an article that essentially called for the end of the government subsidy to the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, commonly referred to as PBS. He gave many reasons why he thinks PBS is, in fact, a waste of federal money. If it continues to exist, it should be on its own. Public television, he reflects, was dubious from the outset. As we all know, since 1967, wh~n there were only three major networks, we have been launched into a world where nearly 500 television channels are available for public use. Many of these new channels are reflecting the basic PBS format; for example, the History Channel, Biography, National Geographic, and the Learning Channel are but a few of the cultural and informational channels that challenge PBS formats. PBS touts itself as an alternative format that poor people can afford. Wills counters that 62 percent of poor households have cable or satellite television and 78 percent have VCR or DVD players. However, he really hits home with the concept that PBS is arrogantly for the few. He feels that PBS is impervious to criticism, and as such has become an isolated island for a refined minority. Yet, this very select group of people now have ample television choices for the "rare moments when it is not reading Proust." PBS is very much aware of its survival. It is constantly in need of endless fund-raising programs that often are repetitively boring. Its prime time rating numbers are falling below the relevant quotient. With this in mind, Will reflects, "Public television's survival with no remaining rationale, should fill students of government with awe, wonderment and melancholy. Would it vanish without the 15 percent of its revenues it gets from government? Let's find out." There is much truth in Will's observations. PBS does indeed have a limited audience. Much of its programming is targeted to more mature viewers, even in spite of Big Bird. One of the main difficulties that PBS presents is its rather liberal dash for politics. Many feel it is indeed quite partisan. The recent difficulty about Buster, PBS' cartoon rabbit, visiting two lesbian parents caused more than a mild uproar in Washington. It seems that PBS policies are more than one-sided. Because of this determination there are many who agree with Will that government should not be spending tax dollars on a broadcast system that often strays from an openness that is fair and free from prejudice. That is a political issue an elected Congress should handle with a corresponding open mind. Yet, to withdraw support from PBS is itself biased. George Will is a person of openness, which often reflects his own subjectiveness. One of the problems that the journalistic world faces today is that few are able to write and report with objectivity. We see this daily in our secular media. Everyone has an ax to grind, which then is immediately used to decapitate some poor victim. Even with a multiplicity of channels, PBS some days is a refuge from the crude, trite and banal. It does offer good programming that so many other outlets just do not provide, as reflected in their slo. gan, "If PBS doesn't do it, who will?" But does that mean that PBS doesn't have a unique role to play in TV land? Offerings such as Great Performances, wonderful travel adventures and its special House of Chefs have made PBS an oasis in a very dry desert of stupidity. One could suggest to Mr. Will that if he does not like what he sees on PBS, then perhaps he could change channels.
.
ELVO THE CLOWN, ALSO KNOWN AS AARON
WARD FROM NEW ZEALAND, PERFORMS FOR 'fIlE WEST COAST OF SUMATRA ISLAND
TSUNAMI-AFFECTED CHILDREN IN Sl!SOH VILLAGE ON
RECENTLY. HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS EMERGED FROM MAKESHIFT HUTS AND TENTS TO WATCH ELVO DO FUNNY TRICKS. (eNS PHOTO FROM REUTERS) .
"A TIME TO WEEP AND A TIME TO LAUGH" .<ECCLESIASTES 3:4).
Last month, the last of the three Fatima in three parts. The first was Fatima visionaries, Sister Maria a vision of hell, in which the kids Lucia of Jesus and the Sacred saw in graphic detail hell's Heart, better known by her repulsive horror. The second was a baptismal name, Lucia dos Santos, prophecy that World War I would died at age 97. SOOJ;l end, but that if people did not As long as she was alive, there stop offending God a worse one was always something "presentwould erupt; she also warned that tense" about the Fatima appariunless Russia were converted, the tions. She was an unimpeachably communists would spread their sane and h~ble witness to the errors throughout the world, extraordinary intervention of the causing war, annihilating nations, Blessed Mother in 1917 at the persecuting the Church and Cova da ma. While her death obviously finishes her faithful testimony to . the message she received, the irnportaI).ce of that message remains. As in any private By Father Roger revelation, there is never a ''new'' communication, J. Landry The Executive Editor because God has already said it in sacred Scripture and tradition. But what authentic private martyring millions. The third part, revelations like Fatima accomplish commonly referred to as Fatima's is to help us live more fully by ''third secret" was a prophetic Christ's definitive revelation in a vision made public only in 2000. It certain period of history. The showed a steep Way of the Cross . OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF FALL RIVER message Mary proclaimed in through a city laden with the Published weekly by the Catholic Press of the Diocese of Fall River Fatima was the same her Son martyred corpses of bishops, 887 Highland Avenue P.O. BOX' 7 proclaimed in the Holy Land: the priests, religious and lay people, at Fall River, MA 02720 Fall River, MA 02722-0007 call to urgent conversion and the top of which was a "bishop in Telephone 508-675-7151 FAX 508-675-7048 penance, trusting in the Father's white" who was shot and killed. E-mail: TheAnchor@Anchomews.org merciful love. Lucia age 10, Francisco, nine, $lmd address changes to P.O. Box, call or use E-mail addreSs After having asked路the three and Jacinta, seven, were obviously shepherd children to pray the frightened by the images. But the EXECUTIVE EDITOR rosary and offer their lives for the Blessed Mother also gave them a Rev. Msgr. John F. Moore conversion of sinners and reparasource of hope, an antidote to the EDl"rOR NEWS EDITOR OFFICE MANAGER tion for the world's sins, she horror she revealed to them in David B. Jolivet James N. Dunbar Mary Chase presented the central message of . these visions. She presented them
Putting Into the Deep
an
theanch~
with the earthly remedy against going to hell, against a world thrown into turmoil by atheistic cornrnunism,andAgainstthe bloody persecution of Christ's Mystical Body. It should still catch us by sUrprise: consecration to her Immaculate Heart, both of persons and nations (especially Russia). Why this? For two reasons: first. because hell, the lack of peace in our world, and the persecution of Christ's Mystical Body are all the result of personal sins; and second, because consecration to her Immaculate Heart, properly and fully understood, is the best way to fight against sin. An immaculate heart like Mary's is pure, and the "pure of heart... ~ee God" (Mt 5:8); that vision of God in others and in situations allows such a heart to say "fiat" to God in everything. Moreover, a heart like Mary's ''treasures'' God's word within and "ponders" it (Lk 2: 19), ultimately giving it one's own flesh. Such a heart is more powerful than all the bullets, bombs and hijacked airplanes that the world can muster. The ''yes'' that came from Mary's heart changed the history of the world. To the extent that that "yes" reverberates in hearts today, the history of the world will be altered for the better. This is what consecration to her Tum to page six - Mission
Not your average Joe There seems to be some kind of wacky phenomenon that if one repeats certain words often enough, it no longer makes sense (or maybe this "phenomenon" is just my being wacky). For example, take the word pigeon and repeat it aloud for 2025 times. No longer does the word describe an annoying feathered creature. Instead it simply sounds like a ridiculous made-up word.
My View From the Stands By Dave Jolivet Repetition has a way of diminishing something of value. Take, for another instance, St. Patrick's Day. Sometimes the celebration supercedes the man and becomes a Mardi Gras-like experience. The same seems true for St. Joseph's Day. While not as highprofile among non-Italians as St. Patrick's Day is among non-Irish, the man can still get lost in the revelry of the feast. St. Joseph and St. Peter are my two most favorite of saints. St. Peter because he's a man who shot from the hip, speaking at times before thinking. I can relate to that. Joseph is a favorite because he, while remaining fairly obscure in the saintly world, is the quintes-
sential family man, the consummate man of humility, and the poster person for selflessness and faith. Joseph was a simple hardworking man engaged to Mary when he learned she was with child - by the Holy Spirit. Surely he was thro~n for a loop by that set of circumstances, and surely he was taken aback when visited in a dream by an archangel, advising him all was OK. Here he is one day, a normal, Godfearing carpenter engaged to be married, and the next moment he becomes the stepfather of the Savior of the world. How easily it would have been for him to just say, "I'll pass, thanks." But he didn't. And, if the circumstances were not unusual enough, Joseph discovered he must flee with his new bride and newborn son and head to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. Did the man lie awake at night and wonder, "what have I gotten myself into?" If he did, he still held true to the course. There is no doubt that Joseph loved his God, loved is wife and loved his little boy Jesus, because that was the make-up of the man. It's not clear how long Joseph lived, but I guarantee he greatly
New Bedford Deanery to hold Lenten Mission NORTH DARTMOUTH be a penance service with several "Stay With Us Lord," will be the priests of the New Bedford Deantheme for the New Bedford Dean- ery available for the sacrament of ery Mission to be held March 14- - reconciliation. 17 at St. Julie Billiart Church, 494 Bishop George W. Coleman Slocum Road, North Dartmouth. will be the principal celebrant of Sacred Hearts Father Richard the noon Mass on Tuesday and the 'Danyluk, pastor of St. Joseph's 7 p.m. Mass that evening will be Basilica in Alameda, Calif., will celebrated in the Maronite Rite. lead the mission. Father Danyluk will be availThere will be two talks daily able one hour prior to each serin the context of Mass at noon and vice to anyone who wishes to go 7 p.m., with the exception of to confession or seek spiritual diThursday evening when there will rection.
influenced his son. In Joseph Jesus saw love, faith, loyalty, perseverance, selflessness, gentleness, strength, and honesty. All traits Jesus exhibited when he became a man. I'm proud to say my youngest son's middle name is in honor of the great St. Joseph, and it's a comfort to know he's with him in
heaven right now. We citizens of Massachusetts are in the middle of a political onslaught against the sanctity of life - in the embryonic stage, and in the womb. So-called experts are feeding us lies, hoping to mislead us all into thinking that embryonic stem-cell research is good for mankind, and that abortion is a woman's right. As we approach St. Joseph's day, let's all ask this gentle, family
Charlie's Oil Co., Inc. • Prompt 24 Hour Service • Automatic Deliveries • Call In Deliveries • Budget Terms Available • Free Estimates
You Never Had Service Until You Tried Charlie's
MAY 23 - JUNE
4,
2005
European Vacations
Ireland' Britain· Italy • Gennany
• Weekly Escorted Coach Tours • Chauffeur Drive • Self-Drive Vacations featUring: Guest Homes, Manor Homes, Hotels, Villas & Castle Stays.
"$50 per person discount with this ad
Group Organizers Wanted Travel for FREE: Arrange a group vacation with family and friends. Choose from our weekly coach tours. itineraries can also be tailored to suit. . For more information. contact your preferred Travel Agent, or call:
46 Oak Grove Ave., Fall River orcal/ ...
Celtic Tours: 1-800-833-4373
508-675-7426 • 508-674-0709
Visit our Website: www.celtlctours.com "$50 cbcounlls applicable on eny CeltIc Teurs 7 nIgh13 or longer pockage. Not oppIicabIe on Group departures.
FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY OF STEUBENVILLE
Academically Challe~ging Passionately Catholic Teaching Excellence • 35 Majors, 7 Graduate Programs • Dynamic Orthodoxy Engaging Campus Culture • Life-changing Outreaches
F
ranciscan University's demanding academics integrate faith and reason within a vibrant spiritual environment. Our .life-giving intellectual and faith community teaches our students to love God and love tme wisdom. Our engaging campus culture invites them to seek ongoing personal conversion in the power of the Holy Spirit. This total Catholic educational experience helps students achieve the Christian maturity, integrity, and knowledge they need to live as "salt and light" in the world.
~
t\:\clsn:\ OF SJ"El'BL:--J"III.E
C:\I\TRSI ry
l:.&
•• •
I
•
Attention Students: Still looking for Summer Work? Machine Operators and Shippers
or age.
No experience necessary.
A 12-DAY SOJOURN COST: $1799.00
UNDER THE SPIRITUAL DIRECTION OF FATHER ED SERENA.
Your fare includes: round-trip air; modern accommodations in the village; transport by motor coach; breakfast and dinner daily; spiritual conferences with priests, visits with visionaries and much more. This is a pilgrimage to Medjugorje with a stopover in the beautiful Christian city of Dubrovnik. FOR INFORMATION CALL
·I f~!!i~nr~~::!r
Fundraislng for Church & Non-Profit groups.
We're located at ...
Must be at least 18 years PILGRIMAGE TO MEDJUGORJE -
man to intercede on behalf of life, because the more the words embryonic stem-cell research and abortion are repeated, the hazier their definitions become. Comments are welcome at dave;olivet@ancllOrnews.org.
781-834-4953
~ ~ ~
Potential to earn $14.55 hr incentive pay ($12.60/hr to start)! $l.OO/hr shift differential! Opportunity to qualify for end of summer bonus!
Work Sun, Mon, Wed -or- Thur, Fri,Sat Choose from 3 or 4 day work week (10 or 12 hour shifts) Day, evening, and night time shifts available To apply, call Gold Medal Bakery at 1-800-642-7568, ext 799 Or email dparent@goldmedalbakery.com Or apply in person to 21 Penn St, Fall River, MA For directions, call 1-800-642-7568, ext 6
.
路4
Friday, March 11, 2005
6
%nten C%f[ections <:With (Father GJhomas 0(. CI<ecilc ATTLEBORO - The National Shrine of Our Lady ofLa Salette will hold the Way of the Cross tonight at 7 and subsequent Friday's during Lent. For more information about this ~d other programs call 508-2225410. A reconciliation series themed "La Salette' Charism of Reconciliation," will continue tonight at 7:45 p.m. in the Chapel of Reconciliation. La Salette Father John P. Sullivan will lead it. A Lenten mission themed "Don't Go; Sit and Enjoy the Master," will be led by La Salette Father Richard Delisle this weekend. It begins with the celebration ofMass Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Mission talks will follow each Mass. CENTERVILLE-Our Lady of Victory Parish and Providence College announce the fourth in a continuing series of ongoing adult enrichment, "Prayer in the Catholic Tradition." The course is available for credit/CEU's or audit to those in the Fall River diocese. For more information, log onto www.olvparish.org or contact the Office of Faith Formation, 508-771-1614 ext. 119 or faithformation@olyparish.org.
or April 5, 7-8:30 p.m., Holy Trinity Parish, comer of Stafford Road and Tucker Street. Call the diocesan contact, Bea Martins, at 508-678-3351 for further information. MISCELLANEOUS - Men from the Fall River diocese are invited to attend the first annual Boston Catholic Men's Conference March 19 at Boston College High School's McNeice Pavilion. Speakers include: Jim Caviezel, star of "Passion of the Christ"; Tom Moneghan, founder of Domino's Pizza; and Father Larry Richards. Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley. To register visit www.bostoncatholicmen.org or call 617-316-1098. NEW BEDFORD -Courage, a group for people with same-sex attraction issues who strive to live chaste lives will meet March 13 at 7 p.m. in the rectory of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at St. James Church, 233 County Street. For more information call Father Richard Wilson at 508-992-9408.
POCASSET - The Discalced FALL RIVER - All are invited Carmelite Secular Order, meeting at to an ecumenical prayer service of St. John's in Pocasset, welcomes in"Tenebrae" at St. Mary's Cathedral quires from lay men and women, maron Wednesday March 23 at 7:30 p.m. ried or single, who are devoted to the Bishop George W. Coleman will pre- search for union with God, following . the teachings of SS. Teresa of Jesus side. and John of the Cross. For more inFALL RIVER - The Legion of". formation call Rachel Cote at 508Mary will hold its 53rd annual Acies 540-9767. Consecration Ceremony Sunday at 3 TAUNTON - The St. Jacques p.m. at St. Mary's Cathedral. Bishop George W. Coleman will officiate and Choir is preparing for its next season Father Barry W. Wall will give the and seeks new singers. Potential members need not audition, but must Allocutio. be able to attend rehearsals and sing FALl, RIVER - A new preg- on pitch. For more information call nancy help center is opening in Fall Frank Wilhelm at 401-639-0742. River, through thejoint labor and genYARMOUTHPORT - Father erosity of the Christian Community along the south coast. A Woman's Roger Landry will lead a Morning of. Concern will provide life-affirming Recollection, themed "God, Who is assistance to women in pregnancy dis- Rich in Mercy," March 12 at Sacred tress. All those interested in helping Heart Chapel on SummerStreet. It will are invited to attend one of the AWC begin with the celebration of Mass at orientation nights in Fall River: March 9 am. and includes adoration of the 29,7:30-9 p.m., Union United Meth- Blessed Sacrament, two cqnferences odist Church, 600 Highland Avenue, on prayer and reconciliation.
Mission Immilculate Heart means and effects. Since he was a young priest, Pope John Paul II has been consecrated to that heart. His papal motto, "lotus Tuus" comes from a short consecratory prayer of St. Louis de Montfort, which finishes, "Give me your heart, 0 Mary!" When he was shot on the 64th anniversmy of the first apparition, the "bishop in white" should have died according to both his doctors and the third part of the message, but he wa.<; saved, as he said, "by a mother's hand ... that guided the bullet's path" and "halted" him "at the threshold of death." He arose and three years later consecrated the world lmd Russia to Mary's Immaculate Heart. Was the sudden
Continued from page four
collapse of the Soviet empire a few years later just a coincidence? When Mary appeared to the children in 1917, she said that Francisco and Jacinta would go to heaven soon, as they did, in 1919 and 1920, respectively, but Lucia would "stay down here for a while," because Jesus needed her to help establish in the world devotion to Mary's Immaculate Heart. From Mary's eternal perspective, 87 years, was a short time. But Sister Lucia dos Santos used them well. May she whose heart was like unto Mary's now rejoice among Mary and all the santos in heaven. Father Landry is a parochial vicar at SL Francis Xavier Parish, Hyannis.
Since the sexual revolution of the 1960s, our culture has said that sex has no intrinsic relation to procreation, or even to love and intimacy. Not surprisingly, then~ these intervening years have brought permissive abortion, no-fault divorce, legalized prostitution, the mainstreaming of pornography, and attempts to redefine marriage and family. Behind this devaluation of sex is the capital sin of lust, which the Catechism defines as "disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of sexual pleasure" (no. 2351). The Church has always taught that sexual pleasure is permissible only to married people and only when they use it in the way God intends. Unfortunately, Christian morality in general and sexual morality in particular are often seen as arbitrary rules imposed by God to keep us from enjoying life. Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body," based largely on the Book of Genesis, casts traditional sexual morality in a fresh light. George Weigel provides a fine overview of the pope's approach in "The Truth of Catholicism" (HarperCollins, 2001). In sum, the only路 sex worthy of men and women made in God's image is sex that expresses complete and irrevocable self-giving, not a use (or abuse) of another for fleeting gratification. The self-giving that defines real love implies openness to the gift of new life, just as God's love "burst the boundaries of God's inner life and poured itself forth in creation." It is immoral to separate sex from commitment (as in fornication and adultery) or from procreation (as in contraceptive and homosexual acts). Sodom's destruction was divine punishment for sexual vice (Gen 19:24-25). Our bodies are temples of the living God (2 Cor 6: 16), and we should control them "in holiness and honor, not in the passion oflust
like heathen" (I Thes 4:3-5). Impurity should not even be mentioned among Christians, never mind practiced (Eph 5:3-4). Lust enslaves the will, destroys love of prayer, weakens faith, hardens the heart and fills the conscience with dissatisfaction. The opposite of lust is chastity, a species of that blessed "purity of heart" (cf. Mt 5:8) and one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). Sexual feelings, fantasies and desires will ebb and flow as naturally as the appetite for food and drink. The chaste person subordinates these to God's will. Chastity is a life's task requiring reliance on prayer and the grace of the sacraments. It demands common sense, too. When Jesus said the desire for adultery is adultery (Mt 5:28), he was following the Jewish tradition of "building a wall around the Torah (Law)," that is, forbidding a less serious offense so as to avoid a more grievous one. The great saints of God shut their eyes and ears from everything that could be for them an occasion of impurity. "Learn of me," Jesus tells us, "because I am meek and humble of heart" (Mt II :29). Imagine our divine Savior, who loved selflessly even to the point of surrendering his life for sinners (cf. Phil 2:8). Then pray: From the sin oflust, deliver me, 0 Lord. Father Kocik is chaplain at Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River and part-time assistant at St. Thomas More Parish, Somerset. . He has two published books, "Apostolic Successiori" (Alba House, 1996) and "The Refonn of the Reform? A Liturgical Debate" (Ignatius Press, 2003); and essays, homilies and letters have been published in various periodicals, including Homiletic & Pastoral Review, The Catholic Answer magazine, First Things, and Adoremus Bulletin.
Lenten meditations on the Sorrowful Mysteries The following.meditations are taken with permission from the book "Minute Meditations on the Mysteries ofthe Rosary," by the late Holy Cross Father Thomas M. Feeley, who had written Advent and Lenten reflections for The Anchor. The Agony in the Garden Jesus knew the enormity and eternal significance of his struggle. He had to be perfectly compliant with his Father's will and to offer no resistance to evil. He must not lose confidence in his heavenly Father's love for himeven though his Father had withdrawn from sight and, to his human nature, evil seemed to have the upper hand. Jesus knew the weakness of his own limited human nature and, terrified, he sweat blood. Still he never rebelled. He conquered evil by submitting to it humbly in obedience to his Father's will. As our compassionate high priest, Jesus told us "pray that we be not put to the test" (Mt 6:12), but he also told us "Have confidence, / have .overcome the world" (In 16:33). The Scourging at the Pillar Though we may not wound others with whips, we may often wound them with words. We lash out in anger at those we think have offended us and say what is unkind and hurtful. Jesus got angry with those who refused to listen tQ his .message and tried to prevent others from becoming his disciples. But when
the Roman soldiers were scourging him, he did not defend himself. This was the hour of darkness when he was to suffer for the sins of the world. He did not open his mouth or beg for mercy. He gave us a lesson in humility, patience, and long-suffering. The Crowning with Thorns The Roman soldiers crowned Jesus with thorns, spat on him and slapped him in the face in mockery of his claim to be a king. He had made it clear from the onset that his kingdom was not of this world, but they had not been among his audience. The soldiers made sport of Jesus for their own amusement.路 The priests and Pharisees, however, had heard Jesus speak and distorted his teachings so they could convince Pilate to put him to death. Our Lord has told us that we . should not be surprised if we receive similar treatment: "Blessed are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven" (Lk . 6:23). The Carrying of the Cross Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry the cross of Jesus. But Jesus accepted his help and his name is forever enshrined in the Gospel. We do not like to have to ask for help from those who begrudge it. Yet if the task we have to do is
necessary and we cannot do it alone, we bear the humiliation and accept their assistance. Knowing路how we do not enjoy accepting forced assistance, we should be resolved to help willingly those who come to us for help. We should' not add to their burden by humiliating them. If we remember that "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Cor 9:7), we will find every request for help that comes our way to be a "yoke that is easy, a burden that is light" (Mt 11:30) and Christ will bless us for what we have done for the least of his brothers and sisters (Mt 25:40). The CrucifIXion How fitting that Jesus should be crucified between two thieves. The authorities, no doubt, wanted to discredit Jesus. Guilt by association! In fact they reinforced Jesus' own message: "/ have come to call sinners, not the selfrighteous" (Mt 9:13). Jesus was happy to be known as the friend of sinners and associated with them all his public life. Now he would die for them and bring the good thief with him into paradise. That is where he will bring us if, like the good thief, we repent of our sins and open our hearts to his saving love. "Minute Meditations on the Mysteries ofthe Rosary" can be obtainedfrom Holy Cross Family Ministries, 518 Washington Street, No. Easton 02356, 1-800299-7729 or on the Website at www.hcfm.org.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Only 270 days ago,
Some say that without embryonic stem cells, we are depriving science ofsolutions to debilitating diseases. But after two decades ofresearch, embryonic stem cells have not helped a single human being. And they come with a hefty price tag: they are only obtained by destroying a living human embryo. An embryo like Joshua, 270 days ago. Meanwhile, adult stem cells have helped thousands of
Joshua was just an embryo. people including patients with Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, sickle-cell anemia, heart damage and many other conditions. And these stem cells are readily available, found in bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, skin, fat and other tissues and organs. Stem cell research is finding solutions. Adult stem cell research. Science does not have to kill in order to cure.
You Can Help Call Governor Romney, your State Senator, and State Representative today (617) 722-2000. Tell them you oppose any bill authorizing embryonic stem cell research and human cloning in Massachusetts. For more information visit www.macathconforg
Massachusetts Catholic Conference I
L.
_
Friday, March 11, 2005
'Bernadette' star happy 1987 film is finally available in U.S. Catholic history's most storied LOS ANGELES (CNS) When you're IS years old and just women, which necessitated intense spent part of your sophomore year research. "I didn't know a thing about of high school in France making a movie in which you play the title Bernadette," recalled Penny, a Protchamcter, it's only logical that your estant. "So I just read as much as I classmates back home in Califor- could and drank in who she was so nia will want to know all about it, I could let her become part of me. In the process, I began to really hear and probably want to see it. Eighteen years later, Sydney her words, and I was so struck by Penny can finally tell her old class- who she was that it's really stuck mates from Chaminade Prepamtory with me' ever since then.'" In particular, Penny said it was School in Chatsworth, "OK, you Bernadette's resolute faith and courguys, here it is!" It was in 1987 that Penny - then age in the face of adversity that afthe young star of 'The New Gidget" fected her. "She was a girl of wonderful syndicated TV series - was recruited by French director Jean simplicity, honesty,. integrity and Delannoy to portray St. Bernadette purity," Penny observed. "She in the film "Bernadette," about the wasn't a great student, she had a life of the young woman wh.o in hard time remembering her pmyers, 1858 witnessed apparitions of the and yet that never kept her from Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, establishing a deep spiritual connecFrance. The film, created to be a his- tion with God. "She had such, a simple yet torically precise dramatization of the encounter, was praised by'Pope strong faith, and that guided her " John Paul II for its accuracy and by through some very difficult times those who saw it for its sensitive ,when, after her first vision of seeing 'the Lady in White,' people acyet powerful message. But most of "those who saw it" cused her of making it up, of being lived in France, where the film was insane. She never doubted or quesmainly distributed. Its U.S. distri- tioned her beliefs," the actress bution was virtually nonexistent- added. Since the filming, the actress has until recently, with DVD and VHS' versions of"Bernadette" now avail- yet to return to Lourdes. "And I'm able from Ignatius Press. dying to go back; it is so beautiful "It's kind of exciting to know there," she said. "But something that the film will finally get to be always gets in the way. Someday, seen here," said Penny, now 33, though, I'll be back." When she returns, she'll find that married and living in Los Angeles. She is a well-regarded actress with her face is one of the most familiar Daytime Emmy nominations for in the historic little town, since that "Santa Barbam" and "All My Chil- film plays in perpetuity in Lourdes, dren" under her belt, as well as a as does the 1989 sequel, "La Pasrecurring role on 'The Bold and the sion de Bernadette," ¡about the Beautiful" and a host ofTV and film saint's life in the convent. roles to her credit. "I'm so glad I had the opportu"Making that film was such a nity to play someone like wonderful experience, on so many Bernadette," Penny said. "Her story levels," Penny told The TIdings, Los is so beautiful, and it's one that anyAngeles' archdiocesan newspaper, body can connect to, regardless of in a telephone interview. "It was a who they are." chance to work with a terrific diEditor's Note: Copies of rector, a chance to visit France, a "Bernadette" may be purchased by chance to playa title role which is calling Ignatius Press at: 800 651always special for an actor." 1531, or on its Website at: And, a chance to portray one of www.ignatius.com.
r
r r
,,
â&#x20AC;˘
",
I
r
SYDNEY PENNY; left, seeks entry to the convent from the mother superior, played by Elisabeth Kaza, in French director Jean Delannoy's portrayal of St. Bernadette in the 1987 film "Bernadette." The movie was recently made available in the United States. (CNS photo from Ignatius Press)
MEMBERS OF a Catholic youth choir from Ohio recently sang and prayed for the pope outside Gemelli hospital in Rome. (CNS photo from Reuters)
-Church is unprepared for papal incapa.citation, ,canon lawyers say ~
Canon law fails to spell disabled state. Those interviewed did not out procedures to be want to be named, however, befollowed. cause almost any statement on By JOHN THAVIS CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
VATICAN CITY - The worsening of Pope John Paul II's health problems has prompted people inside and outside the Vatican to ponder the question: What happens if a pope becomes incapacitated? No one is suggesting that Pope John Paul has reached that condition or is even close to it. In early March, he reportedly, was making a good recovery from a tracheotomy and was expected to resume a'modified schedule of activities' within weeks. But the pope's latest health scare has reminded Church officials that canon law fails to spell out what procedures would be followed if a pope, for example, slips into a long or irreversible coma, or if he completely loses his ability to communicate. The pope has a neurological illness believed to be Parkinson's disease, which progressively weakens patients and often leaves them disabled. Canonists interviewed in Rome expressed concern at the situation, saying there is a serious gap between the Church's . preparedness to deal with a disabled pope and the, abili ty of '. modern medicine to keep people alive in a physically or mentally
the topic now risks being seen at the Vatican as pressuring the pope to resign. Canon law speaks of "special laws" that should be followed when the Apostolic See becomes impeded or vacant. The laws for a vacant see, which spell out the papal election process, are wellknown and were last revised by the pope in 1996, but no special laws for 'an "impeded" pope have ever been promulgated. The reason, according to one canonist in Rome, is the difficulty in devising a process that can respond to concrete situations of mental or physical incapacity without being subject to political pressures. Some Church law experts would say a pope is impeded when he can no longer communicate, either through speech or writing or in some other intel. ligible manner. That is a concern at the Vatican, because .many Parkinson's patients eventually become completely unable to communicate or' move. T.he assumption by some canonists is that, if necessary, the College of Cardinals could meet and declare that a pope no longer has control of his faculties and is therefore impeded in his of{i<;:e. But just the prospect of that kind of meeting, and the possibility of disagreement among cardinals, makes it un-
thinkable to some. Also, it is far from clear who would run the Church if the pope were declared impeded - especially in carrying out those duties reserved personally to the pontiff, like the appointment of bishops or the publication of important documents. In the case of a pope who has gone into a long coma, cardinals would be hesitant to declare a pope impeded unless the coma were clearly irreversible, said one canon law expert. There have long been rumors that Pope John Paul has left a letter with a trusted aide, perhaps instructing cardinals to consider him resigned in case of incapacity. The problem with such a letter is that someone else would have to decide when to pull it out of the drawer and apply it, said one canon law expert at a ,Rome university. Church law states that a pope can resign, but it stipulates that papal resignation must be "made freely and properly manifested" - conditions that would be difficult to ascertain if a pope were already incapacitated. Like the issue of papal incapacitation, resignation is such a sensitive issue at the Vatican right now that few Church officials will openly discuss it. Church legal experts said it would probably be the next pontificate, not this one, that addresses the question of papal incapacity in a systematic way.
Friday, March 11, 2005
9
All are invited to a .
DAY OF SHARI"Ci , at
ST. MICHAEL路S CHORCH SWA"SEA. MA themed
"UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS" This event is a wonderful opportunity for men and women who are interested in a vocation to the priesthood, as a religious sister or brother, or a permanent deacon, AND for those who are called to other vocations in the family of God, to meet and discuss Jesus' call to holiness for each of us. The day inc,ludes a prayer service by Deacon David Pepin; presentations by Father Dariusz Kalinowski and Little Sisters of the Poor Sister Sharon Therese; and time for sharing and discussion.
SClnday~
1
March 13. 2005
~ma
to 4 p.mm
For more information and/or directions to St. Michael's Church, 270 Ocean Grove Avenue,Swansea, MA, call the rectory at 508-673-2808. .
.
.."We hope to see YOU there!" - Father Edward Correia
I
Friday, March 11, 2005 ages of maimed children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
IC~S ~'{)'Viile
lCal!VSUlII,es
~-
"Up and Down" (Sony Classics)
Absorbing kaleidoscopic interweaving of several plot strands NEW YORK (CNS) - The which combine to create a vivid following are capsule reviews of picture of the present-day, postmovies recently reviewed by the communist Czech Republic: Office for Film & Broadcasting of black-market smugglers who inthe U.S. Conference of Catholic advertently steal a baby; a likable but loutish ex-soccer hooligan Bishops. now on probation (Jiri Machacek) ''Diary of a Mad Black whose partner (Natasa Burger) is Woman" (Lions Gate) Uplifting if at times heavy- obsessed with having a child and handed melodrama set in Atlanta "buys" the infant; and a seriously about a grievously wronged ill college p~9fessor (Jan Triska) woman (Kimberly Elise) who who, after many years, summons tries to pick up the pieces of her both his grown son (Petr Forman) life after her successful but cold- from Australia and his long-sepahearted husband of 18 years rated wife (Emilia Vasaryova) to (Steve Harris) demands a divorce,. meet the woman (Ingrid Timkova) and who struggles to start anew he's been living with for many with the support of a colorful ex- years - and by whom he sired a tended family, including a plus- child - and hopes to marry. Jan size, pistol-packing grandmother Hrebejk's film, shot in actual figure (played in drag by screen- Prague apartments and streets, writer Tyler Perry) and a chival- brilliantly deals with heavy-duty rous new love interest (Shemar issues like cultural assimilation, Moore). Based on the路 stage play national identity, love and hate, by Perry and directed by Darren and the effects of globalization in Grant, this. woman-overcoming- an entertaining Altmanesque way, adversity movie mixes emotional and ties the disparate story eledrama, zany dark-edged comedy, ments together neatly by the conand rousing gospel music result- clusion. Rough, profane and crude ing in a moving, fitfully funny and language, racial epithets, a brief occasionally spiritually soaring but sordid sexual situation, a short affirmation of faith and family scene of violence with some that celebrates the healing power blood. The USCCB Office for of forgiveness. Some violence, Film & Broadcasting classificaincluding domestic abuse, mature tion is A-III - adults. The Mothematic elements,-an implied tion Picture Association of sexual encounter, brief drug con- America rating is R - restricted. tent, and crude sexual language "The Upside of Anger" (NewLine) and humor. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classifiBeautifully acted, droll, and, cation is A-III - adults. The Mo- ultimately, profoundly moving tion Picture Association of comedy-drama set in a Detroit America rating is PG-13 - par- suburb about an embittered alcoents are strongly cautioned. Some holic upper-class wife (the superb material may beinappropriate for Joan Allen) deserted by her huschildren under 13. . band and left to raise their four "Turtles Can Fly" (IFe) daughters (Erika Christensen, Quietly powerful drama set in Evan Rachel Wood, Keri Russell Kurdistan on the eve of the U.S. and Alicia Witt) who enters into a invasion of Iraq, which follows relationship with her neighbor, a the shattered lives of three or- burned-out but affable baseball phaned children: a hustling street player-tumed-DJ (Kevin Costner urchin (Soran Ebrahim) who runs in one of his best roles), who loves . a business installing satellite her and becomes a surrogate fadishes and clearing fields of land ther to the girls. Director Mike mines, an armless boy (Hirsh Binder - who also plays the part Feyssal) who may be clairvoyant, of a reprobate with an eye toward and his sad-eyed sister (a haunt- women half his age - has writing Avaz Latif), traumatized by an ten a sharply observant spin on the unspeakable crime which robbed nature of anger, intercutting the her of her innocence and will to story with occasional film and. live. Putting a human face on "col- news clips of hatred's ramificalateral damage," director Bahman tions on a global scale - and imGhobadi elicits strong perfor- parts a strong moral about the demances from his three nonprofes- structive nature of misplaced anisional leads, and the film, shot mosity. Permissive attitude toward entirely in a refugee camp on the . premarital sex, rough, crude, and Turkish-Iraqi border, serves as a profane language, a few briefsexual grim but compelling meditation situations, alcohol and fleeting drug on the obscenity. of war, told use. The USCCB Office for Film through the eyes of its most vul- & Broadcasting classification is L nerable victims..Subtitles. War - limited adult audience, films violence, an impHed rape of a whose problematic content many minor, a murder of a child (with adults would find troubling. The extenuating circumstances), a sui- Motion Picture Association of cide, and recurring disturbing im- America rating is R - restricted.
The Society of St. Pius X seminary in the town of Riddes. Lefebvrite priests and laity claim Q. May Catholics who are By Church law, the Sunday the excommunication pronounced sincere members of their faith by the Church is invalid because . obligation may be fulfilled by fulfill their Sunday obligation attending "Mass celebrated by attending Mass where priests the Catholic Church is itselfin anywhere in a Catholic rite." The error and therefore incapable of are known as Pius X congregaabove information and regulations declaring such judgments. tion and ministers? I know regarding schismatic nothing about them. ----.L- churches in the Vatican's Are they Roman 1993 "Directory for Catholic and in com'~0Questions Ecumenical Activities" munion with Rome? show that Catholics (Indiana) should not attempt to A. You are speaking
and Answers
of the schismatic religious group known as By Father the Society of St. Pius X. John J. Dietzen The Society was founded in 1970 by the late French Archbishop Marcel When. he excommunicated Lefebvre (popularly known as Archbishop Lefebvre, the pope Lefebvrites), who broke with the said similar excommunication Roman Catholic Church because was possible for all priests and he rejected many of the teachings laity who "adhere to the and reforms of the Second schism." The,vatican's Vatican Council. He was excommunicated in 1988 after ordaining "Ecclesia Dei" commission, four bishops against the objection which the pope established to help Archbishop Lefebvre . of Pope John Paul n. followers return to communion He, the priests and other with the Catholic Church, has members ofhis society have said the society's priests are repudiated the Second Vatican suspended, but not automatiCou.ncil, especially its liturgical cally excommunicated. reforms and the ecumenical Bishop Lefebvre died in 1991 efforts encouraged by the council and by the Church during the past but his society continues. It claims to have about 100 "chapels" in the 40 years. They've insisted on United States, but its membership Mass in the Tridentine rite, is particularly strong in Switzer- . rejecting the present norms for land where it operates a number Mass approved by Pope Paul VI, and they've disclaimed bonds ()~ Pan~.~(fs .. A!J(;)l~~ 60 s~IJlin楼i~s fr~m many nations attend its with the pope. At least some
fulfill Sunday obligations in a Lefebvrite church. This prohibition has been made explicit and public by a number of bishops, including at least one in the United States. In the Swiss Diocese of Sion, where the seminary is located and where Lefebvre followers are active, some Catholics attend Mass and receive Communion in the Society of Pius X churches. The vicar general of the diocese said several years ago that this practice is prohibited for Catholics. Afree brochure on ecumenism, including questions on intercommunion and other ways ofsharing worship, is available by sending a selfaddressed envelope to Father John Dietzen, Box 3315, Peoria, RL 61612. Questions for this column should be sent to Father Dietzen at the. sq.m_e address, or E-mail to:Udkften~aoLconL
Intensely felt views Lately I keep hearing a phrase accounts that take money out of nations are failing that "test." spoken many times by news I haven't space to mention all Social Security." The AARP is people and guests on TV shows. fighting the White House plan, my "intensely felt views," but I Someone is introduced as having offering its own solid plans to must get one thing off my chest. "intensely felt views," usually maintain and protect Social I'm angry that Hollywood keeps 'about politics, religion and Iraq. Secunty. We never again want exploiting negative views of Well, I guess we're all entitled "poor houses" in our country! Italians. They promoted the recent to having "intensely felt views," As for my next "intensely felt movie "Shark Tale" as a "lot of fun and here are a few I have, in view," I am distressed that the family movie." addition to those already Really? How could mentioned. that describe an underI am disturbed and the-sea-mob movie for worried as I listen to children where all the plans being offered to villains are sharks with "privatize" Social Italian names? Security. On the one Many of my "intensely hand, the talk from the felt views" are positive and Antoinette Bosco White House. sounds like uplifting, one of these being a no-lose proposition. ......................------i-..f......J.:...._J-I that good people should get People would be able to rewarded, with the reward be "in control" of more of their number of people who are hungry left up to the Lord. So 1was money, investing some of it in the is increasing globally. A U.N. delighted that Debi Faris-Cifelli stock market. Yet, honest econoreport just out said that nearly 852 won the California lottery's $27 mists point out the risks, mainly million people are hungry worldmillion jackpot recently. For she that markets are volatile and can wide, and at least five million and her husband Steve, parents of go down, with investments children die of hunger every year. seven, are truly admirable people "savings" lost. As New York Times columnist Bob who care for abandoned babies In other words, privatizing Herbert wrote, millions go hungry and give a name and a loving Social Security ends what we have "and no one's talking about it." burial to infants who die. They also now: secure income for older Then he quoted President seek to help pregnant teens. Their people. Franklin Roosevelt, who launched baby cemetery in the town of 1remember as a young girl Social Security, in a statement that Calimesa is called Garden of .seeing places that were called should be read again by those who Angels; the couple reportedly have "poor houses" before Social focus only on getting wealthier: buried 96 discarded dead infants Security existed. Older people with .''The test of our progress is not there to date. no income were destined for these whether we add more to the Hearing about this story via destitute places if they didn't have abundance of those who have newspapers and television gave me grown children to care for them. much; it is whether we provide real joy. With their lottery money, I'm not surprised that the enough for those who have too they can now do more to save .American Association of Retired little." It appears today that all too unwanted babies. God bless this Persons is "opposed to private many individuals and leaders of truly Pro-Life couple.
The/Bottom Line.
By
I
Friday, March 11, 2005
StateDlent human dignity and the protection of human life." This international move demonstrates that the debate cannot be reduced to a disagreement between religion and science. Rather, as the UN declaration states, the core concern is that "scientific and technical progress in life sciences should be sought in a manner that safeguards respect for human rights and the benefit of all." Ethical research involving adult stem cells has already achieved great success and gives patients real hope for cures. Adult stem cells can be obtained from a person's own bone marrow, blood supply and other organs of the body without harming the donor. Thanks to good science, therefore, society does not need to stray from its commitment to life in order to alleviate human suffering. Science aids the drive to cure and the need to know, and for that we are grateful. These objectives, however, cannot be pursued at all costs. Scientific research and biomedical technology must, like all human endeavors, fit within a moral and legal framework. Supporters of legislation in Massachusetts that favors embryonic stem-cell research want to downplay any connection between this research and the cloning and destruction of human life. They argue that a process that researchers are using to get embryonic stem cells, called "somatic cell nuclear transfer," does not involve the cloning of human embryos, and they claim that following up this process with the harvesting of embryonic stem cells does not result in the loss of embryonic life. We hope that the general public and our public officials are not fooled by such false claims. Two different federal bioethics commissions made up of scientists acting under former President Bill Clinton in 1996 and current Presi-
Continued from page one
dent George W. Bush in 2004 both concluded that "somatic cell nuclear transfer" involves the laboratory creation of human embryos, and is a form of cloning. Joining other scientific authorities, the 2004 commission expressly found that embryos formed either naturally or by cloning are living and human, sharing the same biological nature. Cloned human embryos are human beings with a claim on our conscience; they deserve the respect and protection accorded to the human person. Extracting embryonic stem cells from any embryos, whether ~loned or otherwise created, will kill the embryos. the lethal connection between cloning for research purposes and harvesting of embryonic stem cells can neither be denied nor wished away. Legislators have already heard moving testimony from patients with Parkinson's Disease and other disabling conditions who, despite their circumstances and desire for a cure, would refuse any treatment produced at the expense of another's life. These patients are seeking, and finding, effective treatments using adult stem cells and other life-affirming methods. The world also has been deeply affected by the profound moral witness of Pope John Paul II, who struggles with Parkinson's-like disabilities, and yet continues to plead with scientists to pursue research only through ethical means. Science does not have to kill in order to cure. We join the Holy Father's appeal to members of the biotechnology and scientific communities to turn away from research that is both unethical and unnecessary. We, the Roman Catholic Bishops in Massachusetts, urge all Catholics and other citizens of good will to register your concerns about destructive research on human embryos by contacting
Governor Romney and your state legislators as soon as possible. Call on them to support legislation that bans all forms of human cloning and any research that destroys human life. Ask them to oppose legislation that endorses or funds these unethical acts.
-Itf4lt,~
LEMIEUX
Montie Plumbing & Heating Co.
Sales and Service for Domestic and Industrial Oil Burners
Over 35 Years of Satisfied Services Reg. Master Plumber 7023 JOSEPH RAPOSA, JR.
HEATING, INC. 508-995-1631 2283 ACUSHNET AVENUE NEW BEDFORD
432 JEFFERSON STREET FALL RIVER 508-675-7496
St. Anne's Prayer "Good 51. Anne, Mother of Mary, and Grandmother of Jesus, Intercede for me and my petitions. Amen."
Most Rev. Sean P. O'Malley Archbishop Archdiocese of Boston
+~M~
Franciscan Guest House at St. Anthony's Monastery
Most Rev. George W. Coleman Bishop Diocese of Fall River
::f~~ Bishop Diocese of Springfield
Call fur reservations 207-967-4865 E-Mail: franeiseanmunaslery0'yahoo.wm Or Write: Franciscan Guest House. P.O. Box 9~W. Kennebunkport. Maine 04046
* Guest Rooms have
* Walk to beach * Kennebunkport
air conditioning, private bath & TV
shops 5 min. walk
* Outdoor Salt Water Pool
* Daily Mass
* Motor Coaches
* Ask about extended
Welcome
* Gift Certificates
stay discounts
Spring & Fall Rates $55-$75* Summer Rates $85-$154*
Private and Family Retreats Welcome Year Round Facilities CalI for details
*All rates are based on doubte occupancy and include a full buffet breakfast daity
Most Rev. Robert J. McManus Bishop Diocese of Worcester
It is never too early to start planning your next vacation
"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." Feitelberg Insurance has been navigating the ~nsurance marketplace since 1916. Let us put your business insurance program on the right course.
Life
Business
Personal
Employee Benefits
~ Feitelberg Insurance MEMBERS OF Brazil's Federation of Rural Agricultural Workers pay tribute to U.S. Sister Dorothy Stang, a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, during a recent meeting in Brasilia. The 73-year-old nun, an outspoken advocate for Brazilian peasants, was shot several times on February 12. The rural workers organization was meeting in Brazil's capital to discuss government agrarian policies. (eNS photo from Reuters)
508-676-1971 Fall River • W. Bridgewater • Somerset Plymouth • Dartmouth • Hingham
..
~
12
Friday, March 11, 2005
Vatican highlights pope's E-mail address for well-wishers By CINDY WOODEN CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
VATICAN CITY - The Vatican Website has highlighted Pope John Paul II's public Email address so that well-wishers can send him their greetings and promises of prayer. As in the past, the Vatican's Internet office added the E-mail link to the Vatican's home page without fanfare or public notice. Pope John Paul was hospitalized February 24 and underwent a tracheotomy to help him breathe. At press time, the Vatican had not said how long he would remain at Rome's Gemelli hospital. Messages may be sent to the pope by clicking on a link in English titled "Best Wishes for the Holy Father" on the Vatican's homepage: www.vatican.va. . It opens an E-mail form-with the pope's address john_paul_ii@vatican.va - for those writing in English. Those writing in Spanish can use: j uan_pablo_ii @vatican. va. Links also are available in German, French, Italian and Portuguese.
Because of the volume of Email the pope receives when the address is highlighted, the Vatican usually gives it prominence on the home page only on special occasions such 'as Christ-. mas or the pope's May 18 birthday. But even when the address' was not easy to find on the Website, when the pope was hospitalized February 1-10 he recei ved between 40,000 and 50,000 E-mail messages, said Legionaries of Christ Father Fernando Vergez, an official in the Vatican's Internet office. Father Vergez said March 1 he did not know how many Emails the pope had received since undergoing the tracheotomy because the Internet office is "really just a transit point" for the messages, which are forwarded to the Vatican. Secretariat of State. Arriving at an address already divided accordingto language, each message is read by an official in the secretariat. He prepares a summary of the messages he has read and forwards the summary to the pope, along with the complete texts of a few sample messages.
KALE NESTOR and his wife, Christine, with back to camera, and five of their children stopped at Hospice House Woodside in Pinellas Park, Fla.,' to pray the rosary for Terri Schiavo with others who gathered for prayer recently. Schiavo, who resides at Woodside, suffered brain damage when she collapsed at her St. Petersburg home in 1990. Since 1998 the 41-year-old woman has been at the center of a protracted legal battle between her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, and her husband, Michael Schiavo, who has been fighting to have her feeding tube removed. Pinellas County Circuit Judge George Greer set a date of March 18 for removal of the tube. (CNS photo by Ed Foster Jr.)
. Florida bishops express continued concern about'fate of Terri Schiavo ";
" 1 . ' ".;
'r
.
By CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE tempted. There is a pe.ace," daughter would want to live, in part CLEARWATER, Fla. - With Bishop Lynch said. because of her Catholic beliefs. r--------------------~ 1 a March 18 court-imposed dead, In the Vatican Radio interview, "This will not happen in this 1 line for removal of the feeding instance because of the seeming Cardinal Martino recalled a recent 1 tube that keeps Terri Schindler intractability of both sides," he message from Pope John Paul 11 The Post Office charges The Anchor 70 cents for 1 Schiavo alive, the Catholic bish- added. "I beg al)d pray that both to the Pontifical Academy for ops of Florida reiterated their plea . sides might step back a little and Life, in which the pope reaffirmed notification of a subscriber's change of addres~. 1 that the brain-damaged Florida allow some mediation in these fi- "that quality of life cannot be inPlease help us reduce these expenses by notify- 1 woman will continue "to receive nal hours." terpreted as economic efficiency, ing us immediately when路 you plan to move. 1 all treatment and care that will be Terri Schiavo's parents, Bob beauty or the enjoyment of physiand Mary Schindler, are against cal life, but it consists in the su1 of benefit to her." Please Print Your New Address Below 1 In a statement of "continued the removal of their daughter's preme dignity of the creature concerns for Terri Schiavo" made in the image and likeNAME: released by the Florida ness of God." Catholic Conference, the ':No one can路be arbitrary 'That quality of life cannot be inSTREET ADDRESS: eight bishops said they recabout it except for God himognize that questions about terpreted as economic efficiency, self," the cardinal added. her prognosis and her beauty or the enjoyment ofphysical Pinellas County Circuit CITY, STATE, ZIP: wishes persist, raising doubt life, but it consists in the supreme Court Judge George W. about what she would truly dignity of the creature made in the Greer ruled February 25 that NEW PARISH: want at this point in her life. image and.likeness of God. " Michael Schiavo could order "No longer able to speak doctors to remove the feedMOVING DATE: . on her own behalf, Mrs: ing tube at 1 p.m. March 18. Schiavo is a defenseless human feeding tube and they found new In January, the U.S. Supreme Please attach your Anchor address label below so being with inherent dignity, de- support for their fight in the words Court refused without comment to I. we can update your record immediately. serving of our respect, care and of a Vatican cardinal. review a lower court decision 1 concern," the bishops said. "Her Cardinal Renato Martino, overturning the Florida law that 1 plight dramatizes one of the most president of the Pontifical Coun- allowed Gov. Jeb Bush to order 1 critical questions we face: To be cil for Justice and Peace, told Vati- reinsertion of the woman's feedPlease cut and adhere address a truly human society, how should can Radio last month that ifTem .ing tube when it was removed for 1 label in this space we care for those we may not be . Schiavo's husband, Michael, "is six days in 2003. 1 able to cure?" Terri Schiavo, 41, has been legally able to provoke the death' 1 Bishop Robert N. Lynch of St. of his wife, this would not only . impaired for the past 15 years. She 1 Petersburg, the diocese in which be tragic in itself, but it would be can breathe on her own but re1 Schiavo resides, asked that one a serious step toward the legal quires nutrition and hydration CLIP THIS ENTIRE FORM AND MAIL TO: 1 last effort be made for mediation. approval of euthanasia in the through a feeding tube. "Normally, at the end of life, 'United States given the weight A resident of a nursing home 1 families of the person 'in extre- which court decisions have in the in Pinellas Park, she has been re1 agree that it is time to allow formation oflaws in that country." ceiving food and water through a -I mis' 1 the Lord to call a loved one to Michael Schiavo - who re- feeding tube since 1990, when she 1 1 himself, feeling they have done all mains legally married to Terri collapsed at her home in St. PeP.O. BOX 7 - FALL RIVER, MA 02722 1 1 they possibly might to provide al" Schiavo but now has two children tersburg because of what doctors 1 1 ternatives' to death, every pos- by another woman - says his wife believe was a potassium imbalTHANK YOU treatment protocol which would want the feeding tube re- ance. Her brain was deprived of 1 1 sible might be helpful has been at- moved. Her parents say their oxygen for several minutes.
ARE YOU MOVING?
the ancho.(S)
~----------~---------~
Frlda}\
SacraInent
TEXAS ATTORNEY General Greg Abbott addresses the media in front of the U.S. Supreme Court recently in Washington. (CNS photo by Bob Roller)
Supreme Court hears arguments .in two Ten Commandments' 'cases WASHINGTON (CNS) - In Commandments' displays in the two cases recently argued over dis- courthouses were justified because plays ofthe Ten Commandments on . "Jesus is the prince of ethics," and government property, Supreme voicing support for former Alabama Court justices raised questions Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore, about the motives of government who was forced from his job after authorities who ordered the dis- he refused to remove a commandplays, about the difference between ments' monument he had placed versions ofthe commandments, and prominently in his courthouse. about what sort of tests should be The counties' supervisors "absoused to evaluate the displays' con- lutely intended and felt they had a stitutionality. right to display the Ten CommandIn the cases, which were heard ments because of the religious naseparately, the court is being asked ture ofthe displays," Friedman said. to rule on the constitutionality of a Even a third version of the display, 40-year-old granite Ten Command- which included equal-sized verments' monument on the grounds of sions of other historic documents the Texas state Capitol in Austin, and in addition to the commandments on displays of framed copies of the emphasized that the tablets Moses commandments amid other historic received from God are ''''the foundocuments on the walls of court- dation ofour legal system," he said. In their questions, severaljustices houses in McCreary County and Pulaski County in Kentucky. focused on the resolutions as eviAlthough some defenders of the dence that the purpose ofthe monumonuments have portrayed the ments was and is overtly religious. ''Everybody knows what's going cases as a critical turning point for religious rights, other legal observ- on," said Justice David Souter, who ers have said it is more likely that said adaptations ofthe display were they will affect little more than other made strictly to get something the such monuments - those that al- courts would allow, while still servready exist and future attempts to ing the original purpose. Attorney Mat Staver, arguing for place Ten Commandments' displays on government property. the Kentucky counties, urged the Supporters of the monuments in justices to look beyond the overtly both cases, including the acting U.S. Christian intentions of the county solicitor general, argued that the supervisors who commissioned the Texas Legislature and county super- original displays - in which just visors in the two Kentucky coun- the Ten Commandments were ties were not promoting a particu- posted in 1999. Instead he said the lar religion but merely giving ap- court should focus on the third verpropriate credit to the historic im- sion of the displays, created after portance of the commandments in lower courts rejected earlier verthe foundation of the U.S. govern- sions as too overtly Christian to the exclusion of other belief systems. ment and its legal system. Staver said the resolutions no Attorneys for opponents of the monuments tended to stick to the longer reflect the counties' intenspecific circumstances ofeach case, tions and probably were only still avoiding the justices' efforts to dis- on the books because of an overcuss the circumstances under which sight. 'They will repeal and repuit would be appropriate to have gov- diate them," he said. In the Texas case, attorney Erwin ernment-sponsored displays of the Chemerinsky argued that because Ten Commandments. Attorney David Friedman, argu- the commandments' display is the ing for the American Civil Liberties only religiously themed piece among Union in its case, McCreary County 17 monuments on the grounds ofthe v. ACLU of Kentucky, pointed to state Capitol, it unconstitutionally resolutions passed by the two coun- elevates specific Judeo-Christian ties' governing bodies that said Ten beliefs above·other religions.
In the Texas case, Van Orden v. Perry, a man who frequently walks on the Capitol grounds sued because he said the Ten Commandments' monument made him feel that the state was forcing a Christian religious message on him. Justice John Paul Stevens several times raised the question of how the monuments could be considered a secular tribute to the origins of law when even different branches of Christianity use different versions ofthe commandments. Such monuments around the country typically include the version of the commandments familiar to most Protestants. It differs from the one familiar to Catholics in that it includes a prohibition on worshiping graven images and combines what the Catholic version treats as two commandments forbidding coveting a neighbor's wife and coveting a neighbor's goods. Justice Antonin Scalia argued that "it doesn't matter what version it is if it stands for the belief that the law is from God." Scalia said most people wouldn't mow the difference. "I think 90 percent ofthe American people believe in the Ten Commandments, but virtually 85 percent couldn't tell you what the Ten are," he said. When somebody walks by such a monument, he said~ it's not important what the exact words are, but that they remind people of God's role in shaping the founders' beliefs and the system of law.
Continued from page one
work of the Holy Spirit, but it also was time "to pass from renewal requires a human response," he said. to thorough understanding." Pope John Paul said discusCardinal Francis Arinze, presions about the "art of celebrat- fect of the congregation, told Vatiing" the Mass rightly focus on the . can Radio: "To celebrate well presiding priest, but would be in-. means, first of all, to observe the complete ifthey did not include a liturgical norms, but it means reflection on how every person much more than that. It means a present at Mass is called to par- celebration of faith, where the ticipate in the liturgy with contem- faith of the priest-celebrant and all plation and prayer. the faithful comes out, where The pope also praised council there is devotion, a celebration members for devoting special at- after which the people go home tention to the homily, which he nourished, fed, encouraged, sent, said is and must be different from desirous to come back." catechesis. The cardinal said the homily is The priest or deacon giving the especially important because for homily, he said, has a "double re- many people it is the one time in the sponsibility": ensuring his reflec- week that they are "truly nourished, tions are based on the day's Scrip- informed and formed in their faith." ture readings and ensuring they "The homily also must be the are understood by the members of right length," he said. "This is not the congregation. a question of mathematics, but "The homily must promote the you must remember that in our most intimate and advantageous churches we have people who are encounter between God, who sq or 20 years old, but also sevenspeaks, and the community, which year-old children. How long do listens," he said. you think they'can pay attention?" The pope said the Second Vatican Council "produced great fruits" in tpe area of liturgy, but it
Eastern Television Sales And Service
Fall River's Largest Display of TVs
ZENITH • SONY 1196 BEDFORD ST. FALL RIVER 508·673·9721
In honor of Sister Lucia dos Santos, seer of Fatima, who died February 13,2005, age 97. Lucia pray for us. PRACTICE THE DEVOTION OF THE FIRST SATURDAYS, AS REQUESTED BY OUR LADY OF FATIMA
On December 10,1925, Our Lady appeared to Sister Lucia (seer of Fatima) and spoke these words: "Announce in my name that I promise to assist at the hour ofdeath with the graces necessary for the salvation oftheir souls, all those who on the first Saturday of five consecutive months shall: 1. Go to confession; 2. Receive Holy Communion; 3. Recite the Rosary (5 decades); and 4. Keep me company for 15 minutes while meditating on the 15 mysteries ofthe Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me." In a spirit of reparation, the above conditions are each to be preceded by the words: "In reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary." Confessions may be made during 8 days before or after the first Saturday, and Holy Communion may be received at . either the morning or evening Mass on the first Saturday.
OIL BURNERS
HEATING OIL
COMPLETE HEATING SYSTEMS SALES & INSTALLATIONS
PROMPT DELIVERIES DIESEL OILS
24
508-999-1226
HOUR SERVICE 465 NORTH FRONT ST NEW BEDFORD
.... -"".
.
--
-
--
-.
'
....
14
Friday, March 11, 2005
-.
_. __._--
~---=-=-~:;.:::._.
Students deliver special gift to city postal workers FALL RIVER - Students at SS. Peter and Paul School made a special delivery recently to local postal workers when they delivered appreciation cards and letters for workers. Cards and letters were constructed by all students at the school and each postal worker in the city of Fall River received a personal card. . The school has a special relationship with the local postal workers as each year students participate in the Wee Deliver Postal Program offered by the U.S. Post Office. The program helps students gain knowledge of the
postal system and encourages them to write. The cards were delivered by retired Wee Deliver postmasters Kaitlyn Larrivee, Myles Brilhante and Brenna Riley. They were joined by current School Postmaster Joseph Moore Costa. Students at the school know that postal workers will enjoy the cards and were glad to do the project according to fifth-grader Brenna Riley. "We just wanted to let them know that we appreciate their service and that we don't take our mail for granted," declared Riley.
COYLE AND CASSIDY high school recently honored these former students with induction into its Athletic Hall of Fame. From left are: John "Jack" Connell, Class of '53; Jaime (Leonard) Wilkinson, Class of '95; Frederick Fitzsimmons Jr. accepting the award on behalf of his late father Frederick "Fitz" Fitzsimmons, Class of '34; and Nkemakolem "Kem" Nwosu, Class of '96.
Coyle and Cassidy honors former athletes 'fAUNTON - The 11 th annual Warrior Hall of Fame Induction for Coyle and Cassidy High School welcomed six athletes this year. They were chosen for outstanding contributions made to the athletic program during their tenure at Coyle and Cassidy. In addition each played with integrity, good sportsmanship and character. Eligibility begins five years after gradua-
tion and inductees receive two-thirds or more votes from the Hall of Fame Committee. This year's inductees were: the late Frederick "Fitz" Fitzsimmons, Class of '34; John Drislan, class of '51; John "Jack" Connell, Class of '53; Thomas Bradshaw, Class of '71; Jaime (Leonard) Wilkinson, Class of '95; and Nkemakolem ."Kem" Nwosu, Class of '96.
BISHOP STANG High School junior class officers recently met to discuss plans for their class activities. From left are: Jimmy Cheung, treasurer; Carley Caldas, secretary; Stephanie Paquette, vice president; and Brendan Good, president.
,
l
I
SEVENTH-GRADER Eleni Colvin, right, from St. Joseph's School, Fairhaven, is all smiles after presenting a lap throw she made to a resident of Our Lady's Haven. She and fellow seventh-graders made the throws in' their religion class. Above, fourth-graders from the school stand with their teacher Diane Macfarlane at a local movie theater. The class attended "Lemony Sn!cket's a Series of Unfortunate Events" after reading the book series in class. They later wrote a review.
151
Friday, March 11, 2005
What does home mean to you? By CHARLIE MARTIN -
CATHOLIC YOUTHS from Ohio attend a Mass recently inside Gemelli hospital chapel in Rome, where Pope John Paul II is recovering from a tracheotomy. The pope's motto, "Totus tuus," or totally yours, is seen on the youths' shirts. The motto reflects the pope's devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. (CNS photo by Alessia Giuliani, Catholic Press Photo)
JUVENILE DEATH ROW Death sentences of 72 juvenile offenders were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court
r .
~
I!!lI!!!I Number of Inmatl!s wIlo were 16 or 17 at tlm8 of capltaI aime
CJ S1aU!s 1hln permItl2d dea1Il sentenalS lor juvenile offender!, but have no sudllnmates on dea1Il row.
In the last 10 years, only Texas, Oklahoma and VirgInia have executed for aimes by those under 18. Sovrol: Dmll fOndly IilIonn.uon Cent!f
0
zoos eNS GraphIc>
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
NOBODY'S HOME How important is the place we call "home"? I couldn't tell you why Avril Lavigne sings about this she felt that way in her latest hit, "Nobody's Home." She felt it every day The song follows her 2004 I couldn't help her megahit, "My Happy Ending." I just watched her make the Both songs speak of the pain that same mistakes again. occurs when relationships do not What's wrong, what's meet one's hopes and needs. wrong now? The girl in the song is deeply Too many, too many problems Don't know where she belongs Where she belongs. ~â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘r DO"~ Refrain: '-'... AI ~A She wants to go home, but nobody's home That's where she lies broken inside No place to go, no place to go To dry her eyes, broken inside. Open your eyes (open your eyes) . And look inside Find the reason why (why) You've been rejected (you've been rejected) And now you can't find What you left behind. affected by the lack ofa true home. Be strong, be strong now She doesn't "know where she beToo many, too many longs." Though she "hides" the hurt, problems her actions demonstrate this pain. Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs. Her friends say, "I just watched her make the same mistakes again." (Repeat refrain.) They say she has "too many probHer feelings she hides lems." They say, "She wants to go Her dreams she can't find home, but nobody's home." She's losing her mind Unfortunately, many teens can She's fallen behind identify with the feelings this song She can't find her place conveys. A home is much more She's losing her faith than a place to live. It is where She's falling from grace we fIrst look to find the support She's all over the place. and love that everyone needs. Yet, (Repeat refrain.) She's lost inside, lost inside at times, family problems can She's lost inside, lost inside. erode these positive qualities. So Sung by Avril Lavigne some teens may feel that Album: Nobody's Home "nobody's home" who genuinely Copyright (c) 2004 by Arista cares about them.
The home of my growing-up years was broken by the disease of alcoholism. While this was difficult, now as an adult I know that there are ways to recover from what was missing in my childhood and adolescence. The most important step is to speak the truth of your experience. It is not helpful to pretend that "everything is all right." Sharing the truth with close fr~ends is one way. Al~o, speak With a trusted adult. ThIS person can help you discern ways to manage your life even in the midst of discouragement. Such an adult can also help you fInd the right professional services to support you in healing the hurt within your soul. Realize that you are not responsible for your family's pain. Neither are you the one to fIx this pain. Your parents have the fIrst duty to see what is happening and take steps that can bring positive change for all affected. Furthermore, focus on other aspects of your life. Allow your passions to lead you to challenge, adventure and meaning. Don't let the circumstances of your life at home deter you from developing your own potential. Finally, make God your strongest ally. God can accept all of your emotions, including the disappointment that you feel about your home life. God's love for you is an affIrmation of your importance. Welcome God's presence in your life as a resource that can empower a different and more satisfying future. Your comments are always welcome. Please write to me at: chmartin@swindiana.net or at 7I25W2005, Rockporl, IN 47635.
How good is your school? By KAREN DIETLEIN CATHOLIC News SERVICE
Is the education at your school excellent? Is it appalling? By 10th grade, I knew the ins and outs of the social scene at my school: that the Courtyard Dance was fun, while the Snow Ball was boring; that Kim's clique was exclusive while Charlotte's was welcoming; that this teacher cracked jokes in class, while that teacher was a perfect harridan. But I wouldn't have been able to answer the fIrst question. I just assumed, as many students do, that the education I was getting was tiptop. In retrospect, maybe that was the wrong assumption to make. The nation's high schools are in trouble, according to more than 40 U.S. governors who reported at a late-February conference that America's secondary schools
were, in an educational context, falling short of satisfactory. The governors had some scary statistics. These included drop-out rates, low percentages of students who graduate from high school and college on time, and skyrocketing numbers of students who need to take remedial classes in college because they didn't learn what they needed to learn by age 18. I saw this with my own eyes, as a writing tutor at my college, helping freshmen learn the writing skills necessary to pursue a college degree. Theories abound. One says students aren't being adequately challenged, and schools aren't rigorous enough. Another blarnes society, saying that students can hardly learn in an environment that inundates them with drugs, gangs and inducements to distraction. Some people say that schools are
"too institutional," while others say they're "not institutional enough." What's a student to believe? I'm not sure that students today can completely rely on others to make sure they're getting the best
Coming of Age education possible. School is a two-way street, and both teachers and students need to give 100 percent to their tasks. If teens themselves don't step in and speak up for their education, they may be feeling the negative effects for years down the line. If I had looked around a little
back then, I would have noticed that the books I was reading in English class weren't hard enough for me, that I needed far more remedial work in pre-calculus than .I was getting. I received a good education, sure, but it could have been better. In these days of distraction, teens shouldn't wait for adults, governments and lobby groups to improve their schools. Teens who feel they're not adequately challenged should demand to be challenged by their teachers. Students who feel like a statistic, lost perhaps in the throng of a large high school, could take some time to introduce themselves to their teachers and ask for extra help. Students who don't feel comfortable with the social situation could search out new clubs, new community groups and new friends. And in schools where
violence and insecurity are problems, teenS have a right to demand a safe environment in which to learn. During their summit, the governors presented an ambitious plan for making education come fIrst in America's public high schools by raising diploma requirements, improving standards and making sure that graduation requirements fit what students need in today's world. Many high schools just aren't up to snuff, and students suffer because of it. What should students expect out of their schooling? They should expect the best preparation possible for what comes next, whether that is college, a vocation or a job. They need, and deserve, that preparation - and if they have to speak up to get it, they should. Don't be left behind!
..
....
Bishop
....
:,
Friday, March 11, 2005
16
~ , IT- :,:.
Continued from page one
former Bishop Sean P. O'Malley, OFM Cap., Father Paul in a communique to The Anchor, said "it was wonderful ... short, but very important to us as team and to our people." The bishop is known to the people because his photo is on what is calle~ the "Fall River Wall" in the church in Guaimaca, Father Canuel noted. Also mounted on the wall is a statue of the Resurrected Christ -.: shipped from St. Joseph Parish in Attleboro where Father Canuel served as pastor - along with an icon commemorating the lOOth anniversary of the Fall River diocese, and a picture of St. Mary's Cathedral in Fall River. The bishop's first duty was to bless the site for the chapel being built for the personal use of the three Dominican Sisters of the Presentation Lucia Gomez, Adela Rivera, and Maria Ceballos, who are part of the mission team there, as well as the 20 young high school girls from outlying villages who attend the only high school in a 50-mile radius of their homes. That is needed, the bishop said, "because without the high school, the women would be unable to go beyond the sixth grade." The residence opened February 27 when the 20 girls presented themselves for bed and board, Father Canuel reported. "I also blessed the new residential parish center or dormitory for the young women, named for Blessed Marie Poussepiri, the foundress of the Dominican Sisters who direct St. Anne's Hospital in Fall River and also staff Marie's place in that city and Marian Manor in Taunton," the bishop said. .The center also houses the parish Sewing Cooperative, started to proyide single mothers, abused women and needy women with chance to become independent of their abusers and enable them to .support their children. "At the same time they make school. uniforms available to the poor who can't send their children to school because of the expense
•
I
•
.
.'
l'
of these uniforms, which are in great demand," Father Paul-noted. After blessing the entire complex, Bishop Coleman in the evening confirmed 78 young adults and then attended a reception in his honor which was organized by the youth group Lazos de Armistad. "It was a wonderful experience to be with the candidates, their sponsors and the parishioners of St. Rose of Lima Parish," Bishop Coleman recalled. "All of the Dominican Sisters are, in my estimation, doing outstanding pastoral work." On another day the bishop un-' dertook a long and hardy trip in a bouncing Toyota to the small mountain town of Las Pifiuelas to celebrate Mass in a one-room schooL "The town is located in the mountains of the EI Chile Biological Preserve which offer beautiful vistas traveling along. To get there, we had to travel over a dirt road for about two hours, the last hour of which our vehicle needed to go into four-wheel drive," he recalled. "The weather cooperated, remaining dry, and the temperature was in the 80s during the day but dropped in the evening." The trek into the mountains was also to prove an unusual and historic one. . "While there I also baptized five infants. I was told I was the first bishop to visit Las Pifiuelas' in living memory. It is a very small community and deep in the forest. But 'it was truly wonderful experience. Fathers Canuel and Pregana and two other American visitors also accompimied us. "The people expressed their gratitude for my coming to them, and it was also a very moving experience for me," Bishop Coleman said. "We were treated to lunch by the family of the·Delegate of the Word there. The Delegate of the Word is the person designated in the community to hold a prayer service in the absence of a priest. Our parish priests are able to visit Las Pifiuelas and celebrate Mass
a
-"-...
._. J
FATHER PAUL Canuel introduces to the congregation a new member of the family of God who was just baptized at services in Honduras.
BISHQP GEORGE W: Coleman baptizes one of five babies during ceremonies in the mountain Village of Las Pinuelas. about every two months," the bishop explained. The Guaiinaca region is one of the poorest ip. the world, "and indeed the people are very poor," he said. "Theiifood staples are rice and beans - and on special occasion there is some chicken. They al~o grow tomatoes, some of which are shipped into the city." He said he was also pleased to be in the Guaimaca parish 'when it celebrated Father Pregana's birthday. "It began with his youth group singing at 3 p.m., outside his bedroom window," the bishop recalled, laughing. "Father Pregana is doing well, and has advanced very rapidly in speaking Spanish. He is very much. loved - as is Father Canuel too - by the youth group and the people." . Father Pregana is expected to THESE ARE CHILDREN from Majastre, above, a village in make a quick trip back to this diothe EI Chile mountain range. Note the homemade toy, a stick cese in April, according to Father and wheels. Below is ''lio'' Manuel, a member of the youth group Canuel. Besides the priests and Sisters, and a Delegate of the Word with some of his nephews and Bishop Coleman was quick to nieces in LasPinuelas. (Photos courtesy 'of Father Paul Canuel.) praise the increased number of visitors from parishes in the Fall River diocese and elsewhere, "who come to do so much work. Among them is a carpenter from Sandwich who is currently constructing wooden wardrobes for the girls living in the dormitories. His wife joined him last week." Bishop Coleman also talked of the visiting students from Stonehill College and UMass-Dartmouth "who the people in Guaimata look forward to seeing. They visit annually and work and help out in many ways in the villages." FQr more information on the missions in Guaimaca and Orica, visit the Website: www.honduranmission.org. For a copy of the mission's newsletter, E-mail Father Craig Pregana at Craig6204 @aol.com.