Newspaper Page Text
MOVES TO INFALLIBILITY
Catholic-Lutheran Group
Ends Papal Primacy Study
BY JERRY FILTEAU
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (NC) - Lutheran
and Catholic theologians meeting here
concluded their full-group discussion of
papal primacy and announced they will
move to the question of infallibility at
their next meeting in six months.
In a joint public statement issued at
the end of their Sept. 21-24 meeting at
the Sheraton Inn here, the National
Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue group
stated that as the result of its
discussions “a basis has emerged upon
which for the first time since the
Reformation fruitful discussions
between the churches” are possible on
the topics of papal primacy.
“The group concluded that if such a
discussion is possible then it is also
mandatory,” the public statement said.
The national dialogue was
co-sponsored by the USA National
Committee of the Lutheran World
Foundation (LWF) and the U.S.
bishops’ Committee for Ecumenical and
Interreligious Affairs. Meeting twice a
year since 1965, the group has
formulated concensus statemtns in the
past on the Nicene Creed, common faith
in Christ, Baptism, the Eucharist and
ministry.
For the past three years the Catholic
and Lutheran thelogicans, historians and
biblical scholars involved in the dialogue
have concentrated on the topic
“Ministry and the Church Universal --
Differing Attitudes Towards Papal
Primacy.”
Last year they reported publicly that
they had “once again found common
ground in the discussion of positions
which have in the past been strongly
contested.” They also reported at that
time a common conclusion, that on the
topic of papal primacy “barriers are not
as insuperable as previously considered”
and that “it is possible for both loyal
Lutherans and loyal Catholics to
envision new possibilities of concord.”
At the end of their current four day
meeting they reported that “a statement
has been drafted representing a
concensus of participants regarding
points of agreement, remaining
disagreements, and possibilities for
creative steps which the Lutheran and
Roman Catholic communions might
make toward the resolution of this
historically divisive issue.”
Since their joint statement must still
undergo final editing, the group said,
“to quote portions at this time would
be premature.”
“Perhaps the most notable thing
about the statement is that it has been
possible jointly to compose it for
publication,” the group said.
The full text of the dialogue’s final
conclusions on papal primacy is
expected to be ready for release by
early 1974, the group said. One of the
major background studies for the this
dialogue, “Peter in the New
Testament,” was published separately
and appeared in book form only a few
days before the Allentown meeting. In
that study there was common
agreement that the images of Peter in
the New Testament do not provide a
decisive answer to the later historical
and theological questions of papal
primacy.
The National Catholic-Lutheran
Dialogue is jointly chaired by Dr. Paul
Empie, former general secretary of the
USA National Committee of the LWF,
and Auxiliary Bishop T. Austin Murphy
of Baltimore. The next meeting, on the
issue of infallibility, is scheduled for
Feb. 15-17, 1974, at a place yet to be
determined.
TURN DOWN $300 RAISE
Brooklyn Teachers Stay on Strike
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (NC) - Striking
members of the Lay Faculty
Association (LFA) voted here to reject
an offer of a $300 across-the-board raise
and to continue their strike against the
high schools in the Brooklyn diocese.
Approximately 325 teachers walked
out of their classrooms recently when
no agreement could be reached with the
diocese over salary adjustments called
for under a two year contract which
expires in August 1974.
The contract called for negotiations
on the salary adjustments after the first
year.
The $300 raise was offered Sept. 21
at a meeting between the LFA and the
diocese called by a federal mediator.
Parties to the dispute have agreed to
meet with federal mediators again, but
no date has been set yet.
Andrew Rotolo, an English teacher at
Loughlin High School and a team
captain for the union, saia: “I haven’t
had a raise in three years during which
time the cost of living has risen 18
percent.”
However, Brother Medard Shea, a
negotiator for the diocese, said that the
typical teacher in the diocesan high
school system is now earning $1,800
more than he did in 1970, not counting
the proposed $300 raise.
The difference stems from Rotolo’s
and Brother Shea’s definition of “raise.”
The contract with the LFA calls for
an annual or step increment for every
teacher. The LFA insists that a raise
means that the entire salary schedule be
increased over and above the annual
increments.
Brother Shea insists that the teachers’
salary has actually increased 25 percent
since 1970.
Diocesan negotiators claim that
the proposed $300 raise is the most the
diocese can offer due to its financial
situation.
The Brooklyn diocesan schools office
is predicting a $1.4 million deficit this
year.
If the diocese granted the $800 raise
that the teachers are asking, Brother
Shea said, it will be “the straw that will
break the camel’s back.”
Father Joseph P. Bynon, diocesan
superintendent of schools, in
emphasizing the tight financial situation
of the diocesan schools said: “We must
convice these teachers that our offer of
$300 represents every possible penny
that the diocese can afford.”
Complicating the matter even more is
the teachers’ charge that the diocese is
trying to destroy the union.
“The diocese is out to break the
union,” charged Harry Kranepool, a
chemistry teacher and president of the
LFA.
The charge stems from the diocese’s
selling one of its high schools to a
religious order.
According to the diocese, the sale
nullified the union contract at that
school.
Frank De Rosa, manager of media
relations in the diocese’s public
information office, explained that the
high school in question, Bishop Kearney
High, had been sold to the Sisters of St.
Joseph.
Bishop Kearney High School, De
Rosa said, was no longer a member of
the Henry Hald Association, the
corporation which operates the schools
for the diocese.
The sale was in partial response to a
study which the diocese commissioned
to investiage the financial future of the
schools.
The investigating task force suggested
that the diocese get out of the business
of secondary education altogether.
Bishop Francis Mugavero of
Brooklyn, De Rosa said, decided not to
sell all the schools but did decide to sell
Bishop Kearney High.
Msgr. Andrew Deskur
Communications Head
BY PATRICK RILEY
VATICAN CITY (NC) -- Msgr. Andrew Deskur has been named president of
the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications, replacing the late
Archbishop Edward Heston, who died May 2 while on a trip in the United
States.
Msgr. Deskur, a 49-year-old Pole, was secretary of the communications
commission at the time of his nomination Sept. 25, and had been an official of
the commission under Archbishop Heston and under Archbishop Heston’s
predecessor, Archbishop Martin J. O’Connor.
PAGE 3—October 4,1973
ON STRIKE IN BROOKLYN -- Striking lay teachers noon and absenteeism is increasing as the strike
picket in front of Bishop Ford High School in continues. On Sunday (Sept. 23) the teachers rejected
Brooklyn, N.Y. Eight diocesan high schools involving the latest diocesan offer. (NC Photo by Don
about 12,000 pupils have been affected by the action Wilkinson)
which began Sept. 17. Half the schools are closing at
IN CHILE
Agency Seeks
for Prisoners
Catholic
Asylum
WASHINGTON (NC) - The unit on
human rights for the U.S. Catholic
Conference has appealed to the military
junta in Chile not to send foreign leftists
back to their own countries to face
reprisals.
“Their basic human rights, as well as
their very lives, are now in danger,”
Father J. Bryan Hehir said. He heads the
USCC Division of Justice and Peace.
The priest recalled that only a few
weeks ago the division called on the
rulers of Bolivia to respect the basic
rights of political prisoners there. Many
had fled to Chile as refugees under the
Marxist government.
Chile was also a haven for political
refugees from Brazil, Argentina,
Uruguay and other nations under strong
conservative rule.
During the coup that toppled Chile’s
Marxist President Salvador Allende
Sept. ll--during which he reportedly
committed suicide-the junta generals
said Allende had harbored more than
10,000 “extremists,” and threatened to
deport them to their country of origin.
Civic and religious organizations in
various countries have voiced fear that
in many instances, the returnees will be
jailed and prosecuted as subversives. . >
“It is our concern that the human
rights of these refugees be safeguarded,”
Father Hehir said. “We hope these
political exiles will be permitted to go
to some neutral third party country.”
The priest suggested that the junta
abide by international law and grant
safe conduct and humane treatment to
prisoners, and that the U.S. Department
of State support the effort of several
European and Latin American nations
to grant asylum to these prisoners.
The junta said it was holding some
7,000 prisoners at two Santiago soccer
stadiums. It reportedly sent another
thousand to Juan Fernandez island.
Many held here have been released after
questioning.
Federal Aid to Nonpublic Schools Still Studied
BY JOHN MAHER
WASHINGTON (NC) - Supporters of
federal aid to parents of nonpublic
school children, dealt a setback by the
June U.S. Supreme Court rulings on
various forms of state aid, have not
given up hope.
Rabbi Morris L. Sherer, president of
Citizens Relief for Education by Income
Tax (CREDIT), said the organization
has a research team “trying to find some
structure that would perhaps satisfy the
concepts in the June decision.”
Earlier this year, CREDIT launched a
campaign to gain popular support for
federal legislation to grant parents of
nonpublic school children tax credits
for tuition paid to those schools.
CREDIT was then focusing support
on H.R. 49, a bill introduced by Rep.
James Burke (D-Mass.). The bill
proposed a tax credit equivalent to 50
percent of tuition paid to nonpublic
schools, with a maximum credit of $200
per child. FamUies with adjusted gross
incomes less than $18,000 were to
receive the full credit, which was to be
phased out gradually for those with
adjusted gross incomes over $18,000.
Unlike charitable deductions, which
are used to reduce taxable income, the
tax credit would be deducted from the
taxpayer’s final tax bill. A credit of
$200 would reduce the bill by the full
$200.
Then in June the Supreme Court
ruled unconstitutional New York and
Pennsylvania laws providing several
forms of aid to nonpublic schools or to
parents of non public school children.
The laws ruled unconstitutional
included:
-- A section of New York state’s
education and tax laws which gave
tuition-paying parents a deduction from
gross taxable income in computing their
state income tax.
- A Pennsylvania law that reimbursed
parents up to $150 if they were paying
to send their children to nonpublic
schools.
Rabbi Sherer said that CREDIT’S
executive committee has been studying
the effect of the Supreme Court
decisions on tax credit legislation, but
he said he thought the decisions “would
doom any legislation for the current
session” of Congress.
“What the Supreme Court decision
means in terms of getting a bill out, I’m
not sure,” said a legislative assistant to
Congressman Burke, whose bill CREDIT
was supporting.
The legislation will have to be
revised,” she said, noting that the House
Ways and Means Committee, which has
jurisdiction over the bill, is not planning
any work on tax reform until next year.
“It’s fair to say that it (the Supreme
Court decision) has sent us all back to
the drawing board,” said George Brown,
a legislative assistant to Rep. Hugh L.
Carey (D-N.Y.), sponsor of another tax
credit bill.
“Carey feels it’s unfortunate that the
state statutes came before the Supreme
Court first,” Brown said, “because
there’s a better persumption of
constitutionality for federal legislation.”
The Supreme Court decision has been
interpreted by many in Congress as
striking down the avenue of tax credits,
Brown said. He pointed out that in
Chief Justice Warren Burger’s dissenting
opinion there is a footnote saying that
the court was not dealing with the issue
of tax deductions.
Although the “credit route seems
next to impossible,” Brown said, “what
Carey and others are looking into is how
you could go the deduction route.”
Carey has not given up, the legislation
assistant said.
Citizens for Educational Freedom
(CEF), a national non-sectarian group,
has also not given up, even on federal
tax credits. At a special meeting in
Chicago, CEF’s executive committee
voted to continue its campaign in
Congress for national tax credits and
deducations for tuition paid to
nonpublic schools.
CEF president, Dr Eugene Linse of
Lutheran Concordia College in St. Paul,
Minn., said the Supreme Court decisions
“have not outlawed genuine tax credits
and deductions for educational expense.
In the 6-3 ruling, the majority of the
court, over the strong protest of the
minority, equated the New York plan
with tuition grants.”
Dr. Edward Spiers, CEF executive
director, insisted that credits and
deductions are similar to the GI Bill
which aided individuals not schools.
One organization, however, has
ceased to exist as a result of the
Supreme Court decisions. Parents for
Nonpublic Education, a Catholic
organization formed to support
CREDIT, went out of business in
August.
“The Supreme Court decision didn’t
leave much hope for tax credits with
their current thinking,” said Robert N.
Lynch, former executive director of the
organization.