Newspaper Page Text
NFPC Head Asks Catholics
To Unite Against Abortion
PAGE 7—The Southern Cross, March 8,1973
CHICAGO (NC) -- The president of
the National Federation of Priests’
Councils (NFPC) has called on
“Catholics of every political and
ideological persuasion” to unite in the
battle against abortion.
“Not since the days of Vatican
Council II have we seen virtual
unanimity on the part of Catholic
leaders and organizations,” Father Reid
C. Mayo said in a statement on the U.S.
Supreme Court abortion decision. His
statement appeared in Priests, USA, the
NFPC newspaper published here.
Father Mayo said that he knew of
“only one Catholic organization in the
nation” that has approved of the court
decision. That group was the National
Association of the Laity, a small
independent organization.
Father Mayo said that he is willing to
assume the “not impossible role” of
bringing together all shades of Catholic
opinion in “the long, uphill battle to
bring men to respect human life.”
The NFPC president pointed out that
at its convention last year, the NFPC
declared that it opposed efforts to
remove the “present restrictions against
abortion” and that it “encourages
legislation and programs to preserve and
protect the life of every person.”
Father Mayo noted that local priests’
councils may plan to introduce
resolutions on abortion at this year’s
NFPC meeting, to be held in Detroit
March 18-22, and he urged them not to
limit their resolutions to the NFPC but
expand them to include other Church
organizations.
Such unified action is possible,
Father Mayo said, because Catholic
organizations share “the common
denominator” of a “long-standing
Catholic-oriented respect for human
life.” He added, however, that there are
still differences among these groups.
“There are those who have
denounced as murderers the seven
Supreme Court justices who voted for
the harsh decision,” he said. There are
others who interpreted the decision as
reflecting the growing secularization of
our society, but who at the same time
expressed just as much respect for life as
the former group did.
“Then there was the large group of
theologians, considered in some circles
to be the ‘avante guarde’ of the U.S.
Church, who merely reaffirmed their
‘conviction that individual human life is
present before the time of viability of
the fetus.’
“All of them-right, center and
left-may with the proper tactful
approach be induced to join forces in
developing political strength to act. It
must be evident now that their
combined efforts acting singly have
failed. Perhaps working together we can
succeed.”
“Certainly it is not impossible,” he
concluded, “that Catholic could ally
with Catholic in engaging in what most
of us have conceded is one of the most
important and far reaching issues of our
age.”
Liturgical Commission Workshops
“Preparing for Holy Week” is the
topic chosen for three workshops to be
given by Fr. Henry Gracz, Chairman of
the Atlanta Liturgical Commission, and
presently Pastor of St. Peter and Paul
Parish, Decatur.
The dates, times and places for the
three sessions are:
SAVANNAH, Tue. March 13, 7:30 -
9:30, St. John’s Center.
AUGUSTA, Tue. Mar. 20, 7:30 -
9:30, St. Mary’s Rectory.
COLUMBUS, Thur. Mar. 22, 7:30 -
9:30, Holy Family Center.
The workshops are being sponsored
by the diocesan Liturgical Commission
as a service to priests and parish worship
committee members. The aim is a very
practical one - to help parishes prepare
for the celebration of Holy Thursday,
Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
Fr. Gracz, was chairman of the last
Provincial Liturgical Congress held in
Atlanta. He has given numerous
workshops on liturgical topics at
summer training sessions sponsored by
the World Library of Sacred Music.
The entire effort of the diocesan
Liturgical Commission this year has
been to help establish and give practical
service to parish worship committees. A
set of guidelines for parish committees
was published and explained at the
Clergy Conference, Oct. 11, and at
deanery meetings in Augusta,
Columbus, Macon and Savannah. Ideas
for a Thanksgiving liturgy, Advent
Penitential Service, Thanksgiving Mass
for Peace and Eucharistic Sunday have
been mailed to priests and chairmen of
parish committees.
Those who wish to be on the mailing
list or who desire some assistance should
write Fr. Michael Smith, Secretary of
the Commission, at St. John’s Center,
Grimball Pt. Rd., Savannah, 31406.
Present members of the commission
are: Msgr. Marvin LeFrois, Chairman
Sr. Camille Collini, CSJ, Mrs. Polk Land,
Karol Kutterer, Fr. Roy Cox, Fr. Fred
Kirchner, OFM, Mr. Gerry Cantwell, Sr.
Charlene Walsh, RSM, and Fr. Fred
Nijem.
In addition to the three workshops,
the commission is also collaborating
with Fr. Michael Delea on the
sharing-session for folk choirs to be held
at St. Peter Claver Parish, Macon, March
31 — April 1, Friday evening through
Saturday lunch.
Abortion Compulsion Proposed
EUGENE, Ore. (NC) - Catholic
hospitals would be forced to allow
abortions and sterilizations under a bill
that has been introduced in the Oregon
legislature here.
The bill would also require hospitals
to provide replacements for any staff
member who refuses to participate in an
abortion.
Oregon’s two Catholic bishops called
the bill “monstrous” and said that “it
would be difficult to imagine a more
vicious piece of legislation, totally
un-American in its attack on those
freedoms guaranteed by the
Constitution . ..”
“We urge immediate and vigorous
reaction by way of protest,”
Archbishop Robert J. Dwyer of
Portland and Bishop Thomas J.
Pacelli HSA Meets
BY AL EVERSMAN
The Pacelli Home and School Assn.,
Columbus, at its March 1st meeting
disclosed plans for a St. Patrick’s Day
Dance, which will be held March 17th at
our Lady of Lourdes Parish Hall.
President Wm. S. Odom said
everyone attending would be wearing a
bit of the green and probably have an
“O” prefixed to his name. Incidentally
the Home and School Assn, has a Black
President, a WASP Vice-President, a
Jewish Secretary, an Irish Catholic
Treasurer, a Polish Dance Chairman, and
an Italian Orchestra Leader.
Mrs. Mary Patton spoke on
automobile emergency training for
women. The Chrysler Corporation holds
weekly clinics in a program called
W.O.W. (Women on Wheels). An engine
is dismembered and hints of trouble are
given on faulty fan belts, water pumps
and whatever. All students are required
to change a tire before receiving
certificates of completion.
Mrs. Patton urged all women
drivers to enroll in one of these clinics.
Sister Marie, Assistant Principal,
stated that 34 seniors out of 64 had
already been accepted for colleges and
universities from all over the nation,
including one girl at Notre Dame.
Sister Marie also mentioned that the
Mini-Courses held in February were a
resounding success, and they would
become an annual event on the school
calendar.
Sister Marie also asked the indulgence
of all parents during March 19, 20, and
21st, at which time the school faculty
will be hosting the Southern Evaluation
Committee.
Mrs. Mada Chrismond invited all
members to attend a lecture series at
Temple Israel, especially on Monday,
March 5th, at which time Fr. Edward
Flannery, Executive Secretery of the
Catholic Bishops Council for
Catholic-Jewish relations, Washington,
D.C., would be the speaker.
Mr. Emmett Tice, Program chairman,
presented Pacelli Senior, Mike Shannon,
who gave a very interesting talk on
Ecology. He emphasized that ecology is
everybody’s business and not to wait for
the next person to start doing
something about it. Interesting
examples of recycling at Ft. Benning
were given, which save taxpayers
thousands of dollars as well as curb
pollution. Most members left the
meeting with a keener insight on this
problem as a result of this lecture.
Connolly of Baker said in a joint
statement.
The bill was introduced at the request
of the Oregon Women’s Political Caucus
and has been referred to a committee.
The bill refers to state and municipal
hospitals and to all hospitals “entitled
to a tax exemption of any kind under
state law or supported in whole or part
by a state of local grant or subsidy.”
Virtually all private hospitals, including;
Catholic ones, receive some form of
state aid or tax exemption.
The bill says hospitals cannot “adopt
a policy of excluding or denying
admission to any person seeking
sterilization” or “seeking termination of
pregnancy.”
While present Oregon law gives
hospital employes the right to refuse to
participate in abortions, the new bill
says in such cases hospitals ‘must
make provisions for another employe or
member of the medical staff to provide
the service otherwise unavailable in the
hospital through an employe or staff
member who declines to
participate . ..”
The Oregon Conference of the
Catholic Hospital Association! said it will
hold a meeting to study the bill.
Archbishop Dwyer and Bishop
Connolly said, the bill “would compel
our Catholic hospitals to perform
abortions, as well as other types of
surgery designed to interfere with
• the life process. This, in a word, would
eliminate the so-called ‘conscience
clause’ from all permissive state
regulations governing such matters.
Laseter's
Pharmacy
Called For & Delivered
“Service to The Sick”
A.P. Laseter - Owner
Medical Arts Bldg.
1467 Harper 724-7784
Augusta
REBUILT MOTORS
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSIONS
NO MONEY DOWN
Central Motors
GARAGE MACHINE
SHOP
410-510 W.31St.
236-5707 Savannah
FLOWERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS
Richardson Florists Inc.
232-3158
1220 WHEATON
SAVANNAH, GA.
Ferraro’s
Luncheonette
Breakfast - Lunch
Phone 232-9169
4 Whitaker
Savannah, Georgia
AMBULANCE-DRIVING PRIESTS IN ACTION --
Father Donal Sheahan (upper photo) races out of an
ambulance and Father Cornelius Healy helps Denise
Heiser and Evelyn Johnson put a patient aboard an
ambulance after giving him oxygen. The two priests
drive the emergency vehicles for the Atlantic City
Volunteer First Aid Corps in addition to their regular
duties as associate pastors in area parishes. (NC Photos)
Jews Image
Still Same
NEW YORK (NC) - Blatant
anti-Semitism is gone from Catholic
school texts, but “little has been done
to counteract the negative image of
Judaism,” said a Catholic theologian.
Father John T. Pawlikowski, assistant
professor of social ethics at the Catholic
Theological Union of Chicago and a
member of the U.S. bishops’ secretariat
for Catholic-Jewish relations, was
speaking at a symposium on
“Cathechetics and Prejudice”
celebrating the publication of his new
book on the subject.
Studies by the sociology department
of St. Louis University several years ago
showed that Catholic religious
textbooks contained negative and
distorted statements about Jews.
On the other hand, he * said,
“materials are rarely included which
would help the student come to
appreciate the contemporary Jew in his
or her own self-identity, central to
which are the holocaust (the murder of
six million Jews by the Nazis) and the
state of Israel.”
HOW
LENT
THE HOLY FATHER'S MISSION AID TO THE ORIENTAL CHURCH
With the season of Lent, comes the question,
"How can I best keep Lent?" The answer is we
must make sacrifices on our own and nothing is
a sacrifice unless it hurts. What will be your
sacrifice? . . . Just think of the missionaries in
our 18 emerging countries who keep Lent all
year long. Sacrifice something big this year.
When helping others hurts a bit, you know
you've made a sacrifice.
GOOD
WHEN
IT
HURTS
FEED
THE
HUNGRY
TRAIN
A
SISTER
So big you can pay as many as 45 bills all at once.
With Check List you fill in the amounts; Savannah
Bank does the rest. Saves you time. Saves you
money. Works with your Savannah Bank checking
account.
SAVANNAH BANK
Gl TRUST COMPANY
HELP
A
CHILD
MASSES
FOR
LENT
JOIN
THIS
ASSOCIATION
□ In India, our priests and Sisters subsist on
ounces of rice each day so they can share what
they have with lepers and orphans. $10 will feed
a family for several weeks at least. $50 will feed
five families. $100, ten families . . . Only $975
gives a priest a two-acre ‘model farm' to raise
his own food and teach his parishioners how to
raise more food. Archbishop Mar Gregorios will
write to thank you.
□ Enable a girl to become a Sister. For 41c a
day ($12.50 a month, $150 a year, $300 al
together) you can pay in full for her two-year
training, have a Sister ‘of your own.’
□ For only $14 a month ($168 a year) you can
make sure that an abandoned child has food,
clothing, a blanket and love . . . We'll send you
a photo of the boy or girl you 'adopt'.
□ Our priests will offer promptly the Masses
you request. Do you wish to remember a loved
one this Lent? Your Mass offerings are usually
the only income our priests overseas receive.
□ Enroll yourself, your family and friends in
this Association. You will be helping Pope Paul
in one of his most ambitious and heartfelt
works, while sharing in the blessings of thou
sands of Masses. (The offering for one year is
$2 per person, $10 for a family; perpetual mem
bership is $25 per person, $100 for a family.)
© AX
Dear enclosed please find $.
Monsignor Nolan:
FOR
Please name_
return coupon
with your street.
offering
city
.STATE.
ZIP CODE.
THE CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE ASSOCIATION
NEAR EAST
MISSIONS
TERENCE CARDINAL COOKE, President
MSGR. JOHN G. NOLAN, National Secretary
Write: Catholic Near East Welfare Assoc.
330 Madison Avenue* New York, N.Y. 10017
Telephone: 212/986-5840