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PAGE 2 — The Southern Cross, October 19,1972
Bishops’ Report Asks Changes in Authority Structure of the Church
By Jerry Filteau
WASHINGTON (NC) - Far-reaching
changes in ., the exercise of episcopal
authority in the American Catholic
Church were recommended in an official
report released here.
The 31-page “initial report” by the
U.S. bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for
Priestly Life and Minsitry, sent to all
American Bishops, included the following
recommendations:
- Priests and laity should have a far
greater say in the selection of bishops.
- Priests should participate and “have
a voice” in meetings of bishops.
- An interdisciplinary committee
should be set up to consider a “limited
term of office” for bishops.
-- The inclusion of more
Spanish-speaking and blacks among the
hierarchy is “of utmost and immediate
concern.”
-- “Consultation” in the Church must
be taken much more seriously, and
stronger structures of consultation and
due process should be set up in all
dioceses.
- Structures for the evaluation of
priests in their ministry must be
established as an integral part of their
personal growth and pastoral
accountability.
Among its many recommendations
sent to the bishops for discussion and
consideration, the report included only
one formal proposal for a vote at the
November meeting of the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB):
That “a standing committee of the
NCCB on Priestly Life and
Ministry . . .(and) a permanent office or
bureau . . .within the NCCB to service
this committee” be established.
This standing committee and its office
would continue the work of the present
“ad hoc’’ committee chaired by
Archbishop Philip M. Hannan of New
Orleans.
The ad hoc committee was established
last November to implement the
four-year, $500,000 study on the
priesthood in the United States
commissioned by the bishops in 1967 and
received by them in April, 1971.
Under Archbishop Hannan and
executive director Msgr. Colin
MacDonald, the committee has been
conducting on intensive study of priestly
life in the United States over the past 10
months.
The report just released covers two
areas: “Authority and Its Exercise” and
“Evaluation and Priestly Growth.”
In addition, the committee said it is
“now working on two other areas of
concern: Celibacy and Ministry, and
Research and Scholarship.” A spokesman
for the committee said it will be “some
time” before these reports are finished.
However, a “Study of Priestly
Spirituality” will be sent to the bishops
“within the next month,” said
Archbishop Hannan.
The committee emphasized that the
recommendations in its report were not
to attempt to “‘canonize’ any new
concepts” on the nature of priestly
ministry.
“Rather,” it said, “the committee’s
approach is to try to create a spirit and a
certain freedom in which, under the Holy
Spirit, sound developments in the life and
ministry will appear among the priests
themselves and be initiated, encouraged
and monitored by the continuing action
of the Office for Priestly Life and
Ministry that is being recommended in
this report.”
The report led off its section on the
exercise of authority with the theological
notion that, “After the model of Christ,
the local bishop relates to his priests as
servants, friend, brother and model of
reconciliation.”
Pointing to the brotherhood between
bishops and priests “in the service of the
People of God,” the report called for
greater participation by priests and laity
in the decision-making processes in the
Church.
Priests should be invited to “take part
in national and regional and especially
provincial meetings of the bishops,” the
report said. In addition, the report said
that “serious consideration” should be
given to allowing priests to “have a voice”
at bishops’ meetings.
The report emphasized that
“consultation in the Church is not based
on any concession or privilege; it is
derived from the very nature of the
Church.” The fact that consultation is
not actually legislative or decision-making
“must not be permitted to denigrate the
crucial significance of consultation in the
Church,” the committee said.
The selection of bishops, the report
said, is one area in particular where
consultation should be broadened and
deepened.
“Few decisions are of more
significance to the local church than the
choice of its leader,” the report said. “If
all the people of God share in the
responsibility for the continuation of the
mission of Christ, so, too, should they
participate to some degree” in the
selection of their leader in that mission.
The report emphasized that “the
Spanish-speaking and black people of the
country” especially have been excluded
from such participation in determining
the Church’s mission. The report called it
a matter “of utmost and immediate
concern that Spanish-speaking and blacks
be included in the ranks of the American
hierarchy.”
“Important to the question of the
selection of bishops,” the report said, “is
the notion of a limited term of office.”
However, because of “theological and
canonical implications,” the committee
declined to make any recommendations
on the controversial subject. It asked the
National Conference of Catholic Bishops
to give serious consideration to
establishing “a competent
inter-disciplinary committee to research
this question.”
In its second section, dealing with
evaluation and priestly growth, the report
recommended the development of
professional evaluation procedures in all
dioceses.
It emphasized that such evaluations
should be designed to “help the priest to
grow, both personally and
professionally.”
The committee declined to make
specific recommendations in this area,
emphasizing that an effective evaluation
process “must be introduced only in full
consultation with all the people
involved.”
The committee also suggested that
bishops make more use of their authority
to experiment with “substantial
alterations in the traditional forms of the
parish,” such as floating parishes and
special communities.
It added that experiments in parish
structures would also involve more
extensive experimentation in the forms of
ministry.
MASS AT AUSCHWITZ. Cardinal John Krol of Philadelphia, cardinals who led an estimated 250,000 persons in rites
Pa., celebrates Mass Sunday at the former Nazi concentration honoring Blessed Maximilian Kolbe who gave his life for a
camp at Auschwitz, Poland. Cardinal Krol was one of five fellow inmate there in World War II. (NC Photo)
Church in South Georgia
(Final part of a thesis by Michael C. Booker on the progress of Catholicism in South Georgia as reflected by Catholic growth in
Valdosta. It was written by Mr. Booker as his thesis for a Master of Arts degree from Valdosta State College and was accepted by
College Authorities in October, 1971.)
Macon Deanery Women
Hold Autumn Meeting
Mrs. Robert Hurley
Much of the credit for the apparent
financial success of the parish is given to
Father George James who replaced
Father Payne in 1970 when the latter was
transferred to Saint Teresa’s in Augusta,
Georgia.
Father James is a Valdosta native who,
after twelve years in the priesthood,
returned home to minister to the local
Catholics in an atmosphere which he calls
the “Parish Family.” To him, the Church
is to be composed of a tightly-knit
religious unit that works not only for the
betterment of the parish but also the
whole community.
One final note on Catholicism in
Valdosta and the surrounding area may
be made at this time. An examination of
Catholicism in the community reveals
that, except for a few instances,
Protestant prejudice has been limited
throughout the period of Catholic
growth. Even the acquiring of funds for
the church construction, “every (sic)
generous donations were made by many
non-Catholics in Valdosta.”
Even the property upon which the old
church was built was made possible
“largely through the generous
contributions at the time by non-Catholic
friends.” Mr. T.J. LaHood, one of the
earlier Syrian Catholics in the
community, has observed that when Mass
was not said in Valdosta, some Catholics
attended the religious services of the
Protestant churches.
One final point on prejudice must be
mentioned, however, a minority problem
does not develop until the minority group
becomes large enough to threaten the
welfare of the majority. Catholicism in
Valdosta has not yet reached proportions
sufficient to threaten the local Protestant
majority.
CONCLUSION
The priests of yesteryear faced
hardships unequaled today, yet today’s
priests face more exasperating problems.
Through the efforts of each, however,
Catholicism in Valdosta has grown from a
handful in 1890, to approximately 1,000
today. The old church which could seat
only 140 persons has been replaced by a
new one that can accommodate more
than 500.
The traveling missionaries, the pioneer
priests of which the reader has received
only a glimpse, prepared the way for all
that has followed. They opened a door in
history that never will be closed. As the
American cowboy gave way to the
farmer, however, so too, the pioneer
priests gave way to the resident priests
and the sisters.
Before they left the scene, the priest
and sisters laid the groundwork, the floor
plan for the development of modern
Catholicism in the small, rural
community. Upon their efforts and
sacrifices has been built the dreams and
the aspirations of both today’s and
tomorrows Catholicism. It is with sincere
appreciation for what these makers of
history have done that the writer has
written and now respectfully dedicates
his thesis.
They came by themselves, trusting in
God and their fellow man. The pioneer
priests left as one, but behind them
remained the future hopes of many. Their
personal reward is unrecorded, yet their
contributions are unequaled.
“Appreciating the Humanity of Jesus”
was the title of the talk given by Father
Michael Smith of the Department of
Christian Formation at the fall meeting of
the Macon Deanery Council of Catholic
Women. While the church has always
taught that Jesus was “true God and true
man,” the emphasis in the past, Father
Smith said, has been on His divinity. But
when we make an effort to appreciate
Jesus as our brother, a man who was like
us in every way but sin, we can come
The Most Right Reverend Gerard
Frey, Bishop of Savannah, addressed the
members of the Columbus Deanery
Council of Catholic Women, which is
composed of four parish councils of the
Columbus, Georgia, area, Holy Family,
St. Anne’s, Our Lady of Lourdes, and St.
Benedict’s, at their Fall Meeting and
Luncheon held on Sunday, October 15,
at Holy Family Parish Hall.
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish was the
host council, and Mrs. Melvin A. Hardy
was chairman for the event.
Bishop Frey, in his address, gave
suggestions and his views and objectives
with respect to the activities and
commissions of the Council, and asked
members, as an objective, to endeavor to
bring people closer to Christ, and to have
the willingness to try to make each Parish
a more Christlike Parish, and thus develop
the true spirit of Christianity. He also
stated “communication is one of our
greatest assets”, and suggested that
programs of the different commissions be
planned to enrich each person’s faith.
Bishop Frey is also in Columbus
visiting all the Catholic Parishes in
connection with his Second Annual
“Live in,” and week long efforts to learn
parish programs and problems.
Mrs. F.B. Miller, President of the
Columbus Deanery, was chairman of the
business meeting, which was opened with
a prayer by the Reverend Roy Cox,
Pastor of St. Anne’s Catholic Church. The
welcome was extended by Mrs. John
Szymanski, of Our Lady of Lourdes
Parish.
closer to Him and develop a warm and
personal relationship with Him.
Father Smith’s talk was the highlight
of the luncheon meeting held on Sunday,
October 1 at the Holiday Inn in Warner
Robins with the Sacred Heart Council of
Catholic Women the hostess council.
Mrs. William Kelsay was in charge of
arrangements and Mrs. Robert M. Young
presided over the very interesting meeting
attended by over 100 ladies and 4
pastors.
The Commission Chairmen outlined
their programs and activities for the
coming year in the form of “skits”. The
Commission Chairmen are as follows:
ORGANIZATION SERVICES: Mrs.
Robert J. Stewart, CHURCH
COMMUNITIES: Mrs. Leroy
Cunningham, INTERNATIONAL
AFFAIRS: Mrs. J.P. Mabry, FAMILY
AFFAIRS: Mrs. Donald Ford,
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS: Mrs. Norris W.
Curry.
It was announced by Mrs. Melvin A.
Hardy, Chairman, that the Columbus
Deanery will be the host for the next
annual convention of the Savannah
Diocesan Council of Catholic Women,
which will be held in Columbus, Georgia,
at the Ralston Hotel on May 5 and 6
197 3. Mrs. Hardy asked for the
cooperation of all members to make this
convention a real success as well as a
rewarding convention.
Mrs. Robert Nolan, President of St.
Anne’s Parish Council of Catholic
Women, extended the invitation for the
Spring Meeting of the Columbus Deanery
Council of Catholic Women, which was
accepted.
Seventy-four members and four priests
were present. The priests were: Father
Cox; Father Edward Frank, Pastor of Our
Lady of Lourdes, who introduced Bishop
Frey; Father John O’Brien, Assistant
Pastor, Holy Family Church; and Father
Mark Starbenz, Pastor of St. Benedict’s,
who gave the closing prayer at the
meeting and luncheon.
Attractive exhibits replaced the usual
reports from commission chairmen and
business was dispensed with quickly.
A special guest was Mrs. Jack Hall of
Albany, president of the Savannah
Diocesan Council of Catholic Women
who spoke briefly. Other guests included
ladies from the Robins Air Force Base
Catholic Women’s Club who brought an
interesting display of their work.
An invitation to the spring meeting to
be held in Macon was extended by Mrs.
Clyde Morgan, president of St. Peter
Claver Council of Catholic Women.
Current offiers of the Macon Deanery
CCW are Mrs. Robert M. Young,
president; Mrs. Robert Slocum,
vice-president; Mrs. Glenn Duckworth,
secretary and Mrs. Patricia Starks,
treasurer. Commission Chairmen are Mrs.
Vincent Canipelli, Organization Services;
Mrs. Ted Lockwood, Church
Communities; Mrs. Clyde Morgan,
Community Affairs; Mrs. Bernard
Thomas, Family Affairs; Mrs. Cooper
Lewis, International Affairs.
Mrs. Wilhelmina Hall
Mrs. Hall Goes
To K.C. Meet
Mrs. Wilhelmina Hall, President of the
Savannah Diocesan Council of Catholic
Women, was one of 191 participants in
the annual Assembly of the National
Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) held
early this month in Kansas City, Mo.
Mrs. Hall led the Assembly in the
procession and recitation of the
responsorial psalms at a Solemn Mass
celebrated by Bishop Charles Helmsing of
Kansas City to mark the conclave’s
opening.
Included in the participants were
archdiocesan and diocesan presidents, the
board of directors of NCCW, 35 priest
moderators and a number of observers.
During the 3-day meeting, Mrs. Hall
held discussions with Mrs. Thomas Burke,
NCCW president, and James Rountree,
President of the National Council of the
Catholic Laity.
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